Ruth McDowell is the second quilt master I’m profiling this week in my “Learning from the Masters” series. She is the only quilter whose work I see and consistently say to myself, “I wish I had made that quilt.”
Ruth is well-known for her complex and rich piecing in her art quilts. I admire her vibrant color using commercial fabrics. Many art quilters use only their own hand-dyed fabrics, but Ruth uses the same commercial fabrics you and I can buy in fabric stores.
I’ve learned from Ruth:
- I can create lush color effects in my quilts using commonly-available fabrics
- I don’t have to hand-dye my fabrics to be an art quilter
- Look at unusual sources for fabrics. Cotton quilting fabrics are predictable; you’ll find unusual fabrics that make your quilts stand out by using fabrics from all types of sources
- It takes a deep commitment to your art to be successful. Ruth has dedicated her life to her pursuit of art quilting
Have you identified the quilting masters you can learn from? Share your inspirations in the comments. Here’s the schedule for the “Learning from the Masters” series in case you’ve missed a post:
Monday: Sunday at the High
Tuesday: Gwen Marston
Wednesday: Ruth McDowell
Thursday: Deidre Scherer
Friday: Faith Ringgold
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