The artquilt gallery - NYC

Today I visited the City Quilter, a 4000-square-foot emporium of cotton fabrics and quilting supplies, located in Chelsea. They stock an amazing array of cottons, including a special section of New York-themed prints. About a quarter of their space is devoted to the artquilt gallery, which displays the work of Colorado-based artist Judi Blaydon until December 15.

Sub Rosa: Aquifer, 52" x 52", commercial and hand-dyed fabrics, beads, machine-pieced, machine- and hand-quilted

Judy's work shows a masterful understanding of colour. Her lines of hand-quilting add another layer of complexity to her abstract compositions.

Sub Rosa: Plateau, 70" x 53", hand-dyed fabrics, beads, machine-pieced, machine- and hand-quilted

Her compositions are subtle and sophisticated, using a good variety of scale and a rhythmic repetition of shape.

Sub Rosa: Venice II, 54" x 54", custom-dyed and painted fabrics, beads, machine-pieced, hand-quilted, machine satin-stitched 

It is gratifying to see art quilts displayed well, in a brightly-lit gallery, in a neighbourhood known for  its creative energy. One hopes that galleries and exhibits like this will help to promote appreciation of fibre as an art medium.

Sub Rosa: Curtain, 63" x 52", commercial and hand-printed cotton, beads, machine-pieced, hand-quilted,