New Quilt Made on Retreat in Mexico

"Accepted As I Am"

I painted the fabric, composed, and quilted this piece -- a whole new style for me -- during a Quilt Your Dreams retreat that I hosted April 25th to May 2nd overlooking the Sea of Cortez at the tip of Mexico’s Baja peninsula. Suzan Friedland led us through her Zen-inspired methodology, which was freeing and fun. Jane Stein gifted us with some intuitive bodywork and spirit-body atunements that were personally revealing and healing for each participant. This quilt (and each day) began with meditation. Then we painted with setacolor and setasilk paints on PDF muslin, using many layers of color on many pieces of fabric. On day one, I went with an intuitive feel for spirals. The next day, I painted on radiance silk, producing the purple-brown fabric, which included certain Brazilian names and places, all very special to me. I included such nouns not so much out of thinking, but rather, out of a strong feeling that I HAD to put them in there and no one later would have to see them. I worked on composition the next day, and began quilting on a Singer Featherweight with a new free motion foot and some funky thread. Tension wasn’t ideal; I had to make do. That was fine, for Sue’s technique encourages freedom: no rules, no expectations, delightful surprises. The final step was to overpaint with light washes of color including some acrylic metalic paint. 

Afterwards, in my bodywork session with Jane, I was reminded that an image that draws me into appreciation of my authentic self is my Brazilian family, who has always accepted me lovingly as I am, messy threads, lumps and all. The quilt I'd finished the day before is an apt reminder.

Here's a photo of the back, which has a lot of texture and interesting sun spots, and still needs a label.

I'm not planning another Mexico retreat until October. I need to get back to work on my book, but it sure was an incredibly great experience. Wonderful women, deep sharing and new forms of creativity, unbeatable weather, food, sunrises, sunsets, and even a full moon and fireworks!