Studio Andrée
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Out of the Fire, detail

Techniques

My quilts are designed along the traditional model of a "sandwich" of layers: top, batting and back. Generally, I work with cotton fabric and batting. Sometimes I choose wool batting, because I like its liveliness and the extra texture it provides.

I used to work with commercially available cotton fabric. More recently, I have been drawn to the uneven colours and dappled effects of hand-dyed or painted pima cotton. Dyeing fabric is a fantastic way to liberate your inner child! During a dyeing or painting session, I often work for a long time, only to look at my watch and realize that several hours have gone by... I also paint, stamp and stencil designs with textile paints over my hand-dyed fabrics. The results are very personal... and never the same. I have learned - the hard way - never to promise a client that I can repeat a colour exactly. Each colour and consequently, each quilt, is one of a kind.

My work area... happy chaos

To incorporate more images into my quilts, I've been exploring the potential of printing photos directly on the fabric as well. This opens up new texture and pattern possibilities.

The majority of my quilts are designed by cutting the fabric directly, without using patterns, and assembling the pieces by machine. Sometimes, I opt for appliqué designs, which I draft and then sew by machine. I also am very fond of reverse appliqué, where I layer fabrics and cut off the top layer along design lines, to reveal the colour beneath.

Once a quilt top is finished, I layer it over the batting and back. At this stage, I add texture to the piece by quilting and embroidering motifs, sometimes quite intensely.