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About a year ago, we published two of Carolyn Lee Vehslage's crazy quilts from her "Computer Collage Collection". Here are three more that you might be interested in seeing.
| “Techno Jam Version 1.1: Orange Marmalade”
48”x48” © Carolyn Lee Vehslage 2004 |
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| “Techno Jam Version 1.5: Watermelon Jelly”
45”h x 25”w © Carolyn Lee Vehslage May 2005 |
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| Ms. Vehslage even made a crazy quilted Watermelon Shawl to wear to gallery openings. |
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| “Techno Jam Version 1.4: Mixed Berry Jelly”
3.9”h x 4.9”w © Carolyn Lee Vehslage 2004 Permanent Collection of the Sharjah Art Museum, United Arab
Emirates |
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Version 1.4: Mixed Berry Jelly's tiny quilt block has a few ‘computer bugs’ buzzing around to pollinate the flowers of the fruit
trees. Now that mankind can ‘grow’ computer chips in the lab, where does
nature end and technology begin? |
- Materials: cottons, paper, beads, recycled computer components, found objects.
- Techniques: foundation paper piecing, machine quilting, embellishment.
- Statement: The “Techno Jam” series takes a light-hearted look at being ‘certifiably crazy’. They are based on the Victorian crazy quilt design. The theme is about computers and electronics getting ‘jammed up’ and how marmalades, jellies, and preserves can be sticky and messy.
When I first became aware of Victorian quilts in the 80's (more than a decade before I started quilting) I hated them. The dark, dark brown velvets mixed with the deep blues and maroons were too jarring to my sense of color. The odd shaped scraps and lack of repeated patterns made me dizzy to look at them.
Then in the spring of 2004, I could not get the term 'Orange Marmalade' out of my head. I couldn't believe I kept 'hearing' it because I have never liked the color orange. For the first few years of quilting, I never had it in my stash. Then, when I knew I would eventually have to use it, I'd buy some orange fabrics. However, they would remain in their paper bags so I wouldn't have to see them glaring at me.
After 6 weeks of being haunted by 'Orange Marmalade', the vision
of the first Techno Jam quilt crystallized in my head. Then I couldn't
get enough of the color! I also instinctively 'knew' it had to be put
together in a crazy quilt fashion. So I figured out how to paper piece
and I was off and sewing up a new Computer Collage series.
Now, I keep an eye out for crazy quilts to get ideas for embroidery
stitches, but I still have to keep the ones I make within narrow color palettes.
Do other contemporary crazy quilters have the same 'issues' with
the genre?
Carolyn Lee Vehslage - Artist
Online Art Gallery
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