May Day Kiss
Juried into AQS Paducah – Charlotte – Lancaster 2014 – 1st NQA 2013
This quilt was inspired by a May Day theme. I chose to depict a French legend. On May 1, 1561 Charles IX received a Lily of the Valley as a lucky charm. This custom became a yearly tradition. When a lady was given this May Day flower a kiss was expected. Dye and ink work were used for the sky, trees and for shadowing. Most of the applique pieces are turned on Mylar and applied by hand. The rocks in the foreground are machine appliquéd with a decorative stitch. The oil can, flowers, rocks under the trees and clover leaves in the background are digitized from my drawings. Beads add color to the clover. The quilting uses several colors of thread and reflects the natural landscape.