She is...

By Lisa-Marie Sanders

This is my second piece for the theme “Integration”. I wanted to do another woman’s face using pieces of fabric to create the whole image; much like our experiences integrate and create the whole of who we are. Since my first quilt was bold, I decided to challenge myself by changing the colors and the angle of the face. I used seven shades of gray fabric as well as black and white. I constructed the quilt using geometric shapes and traditional piecing.

The face, prior to quilting, seemed harsh to me. I wanted the quilting to soften the face but not overwhelm it. Since I had already decided to name this quilt “She is…”, I thought of flowers and a garden, something organic that could represent that She is…

1. More than meets the eye

2. Growing, blooming and becoming

3. Strong and soft at the same time

The quilting was very ambitious for me. I’ve never done anything like this and I struggled to be sure the colors were strong enough to gain attention, but not so powerful that they overwhelmed the face. The butterflies represent whimsy and beauty.

As an amazing side effect of my quilting, I created a different image on the back. I am not sure which face I like best. I guess that’s a good sign.