"Abstract & Geometric" by Martha Sielman

The big surprise of last week arrived in the mail on Thursday: Martha Sielman's newly published book "Abstract & Geometric".

title page of Martha Sielman's new book

Of course, it wasn't a complete surprise that I am featured in that book, after all, I had written the text and sent the photos. But it was a surprise to see my quilt Play of Lines XXXV on the first page after opening the book:

I had not known at all that would be the case. I am very pleased to be included in such an illustruous selection of artists, and as the only quilter from Germany. And that my quilt was selected as the piece for the frontispiece.

This gives me quite an emotional boost, after I had only recently been turned down from the "Layered Voices" exhibition. And also because this particular quilt has a bit of a story that comes with it. I started it after a friend's comment about the scarcity of green quilts in Germany, as already mentioned in its first appearance on this blog. It was made mostly from scraps, using complementary colour effects, and a simple geometric shape constructed through a variation of Kathy Loomis' thin line technique. I loved making it, outlined the red line figures by machine,

and then I started to hand-stitch with seed stitch around the shapes that appeared as a result of the outlined lines.

Already after only about an eigtht of the quilt finished with the hand-stitching I was seriously questioning whether that had been a good idea indeed, and wondering how long it would take to get it done... or whether it would end as an unfinished object. However, I was determined to make it through, and it was done in relatively short time. Determination is one of my characteristics.
But when it was finished, finally, I wasn't sure about it at all. Yes, I loved it, but I had no clue what kind of impact it would have on people. As much as I loved it, it just seemed too simple. Nothing spectacular. But when I put it up for the first time to decorate my stall at some market just after it was finished I received quite a surprise, because never before had I had so many admiring comments about a quilt of mine as I did at that market. Everybody was looking at it, and sometimes it felt like the quilt was completely stealing the show and distracting people from the fabrics I was trying to sell.
I am glad it has now found a prominent place of display, and I had no influence on that, besides the fact that I decided to include this particular quilt in the selection of photos I sent to Martha Sielman to be included in the book.
I'd been thinking about trying my hand at a blue-orange version of this particular design. This might actually be the kick-off to get started on that idea.

The book is available through the SAQA store. And it would make a wonderful gift for a quilting friend.