Paula Ridley
Paula Ridley studied art at several institutions before graduating from The University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL. Later she specialized in printmaking at The University of Texas in San Antonio, TX. Nature and landscape were her subjects from the start of her art career. Over the years she experimented with watercolor ink and fabric mediums such as batik, discharge and dye painting. She tried numerous fabric and yarn techniques for decorating and clothing construction until she found a medium that incorporated all of the above.
Paula has always been an inventor, perhaps because her dyslexia made right and left such a challenge. Anything that required drawing or working on a design in reverse was difficult to say the least. No matter how hard the project she found a way to manipulate the situation. “I can do this” she said, over and over until she discovered a method that worked for her. This process of inventing is now known as RIDLEY RIGGING. Paula sewed since high school. Following a pattern exactly was impossible because her imagination was so prolific. The designs she had in her head never stopped and continue to this day, only more so. She loved the look of quilting but, traditional quilting was not an option because it required numbers and math, besides she would have to follow the rules.
The first Monday in January 2003 her step-sister invited her to attend the local quilt guild. The guild library had several books on landscape quilts, one in particular by Ruth McDowell. Paula had always created her on designs and made her own rules. Little did she know that this day would forever change the direction of her art work Quilting was the missing link. Finally a medium that could give dimension to her landscape designs. The wonderful selections of fabric at quilt shops today, especially the batiks gave a color palette that was an artist dream. The new thread available and the new computerized sewing machines gave fantastic options too.
Starting with her first quilt Paula found a fool proof system of Applique. Heavy clear plastic and precise tracing from the original drawing or pattern with an ultra fine lined permanent pen solved the problem of placement. By marking FRONT and BACK you always know which side you were working from. She then developed a heat resistant mylar method of turning the intricate shapes she needed for accuracy and those perfect points we all want. She discovered the batik fabrics and the plastic tracing allowed her to “fussy cut” and eplicate nature. To enhance this step she uses ink to shadow and manipulate the color. Paula also invented an organizing system that will allow you to keep everything in order in the same box until you are ready to applique your piece to the background. She invented a simple stacking tray with a pad of cardboard and a piece of heavy poly batting that allows the box on top to hold your pieces in place until you are ready to use them. Her new RIDLEY RIGGED ORGANIZERS let you stack as many boxes as you need for any quilting project. She now teaches these methods in her workshops and demonstrations. Paula will have her gallery of quilts and many products used in her classes on her web page.