Think creatively to save work and time...

"No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn"
Edith Sitwell

 I've chosen Edith Sitwell's optimistic quote to title this art quilt (you can read it on the left side of the quilt) and to serve as inspiration for all of us who have experienced this miserable winter.  In general, I love the way things look in winter, all sparse and full of subtle color, but this year I need to believe spring is coming!  Somewhere beneath all that snow are the seeds that will bring back my beloved Queen Anne's Lace.

Stone inclusion - gift from a friend  and an old sketch printed on silk organza

Dried redbud seed pods,  coated with resin for strength,
and a pressed ginkgo leaf

So what about the time savings?  I called this an "art quilt" because it is made of sandwiched layers of hand dyed silk organza, organza printed with drawings, linen, cotton batting and a backing fabric, the entire sandwich embroidered and stitched.  A real quilt would require finished edges, but the word "art" allows me to leave the edges with curling pulled threads.  And of course, the stitching is nothing like the precise work a real quilt requires.  Time and sanity saved!

Inspred by Jane Nicholas' book Stumpwork Butterflies and Moths,
 I took the liberty of showing the seed stage of the Queen Anne's lace.
The change from blue/brown to green/white signifies the arrival of spring.