Marcia Lee Hartnell
"Par-a-digm Shift: From Conventional Style to Fabric Exploration"
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| (Photos by Patrick Fraser) |
Sewing is something I learned at an early age. It is part of who I am and a reflection of my individuality. Wherever I was, at every stage of my life, I sewed. I made every type of garment that I wore for school, leisure and work, tried every craft that came along, and decorated homes with window treatments and upholstery.
My personal paradigm shift occurred after retirement. My need for clothes lessened, I had tried most crafts, and my house decorating was complete. At this time my interest in fabric expanded into the world of quilting.
Traditional quilting with the repetition of the same block design was undergoing transformation and expansion. Fabric wasn’t just cut into pieces and reassembled. It was being manipulated in a myriad of ways with dye, paint, heat, over stitching, photo transfer, and added texture. It was being embellished with thread, yarn, beads, metal, hand and machine embroidery, and 3-D elements.
My “shift” design exhibits garment construction with tailored elements on one side and a sampler quilt of exploration on the reverse. I was amazed as I constructed the shift with the number of techniques I’ve learned that are not represented. My journey continues.