Quilt Artist:

Susan Shie

Name of Quilt:

For Love of Libby

Size of Quilt:

30” X 30” Quilt

Materials:

Machine and perle cotton embroidery threads, bamboo and organic cotton batting. Backing fabrics include one large Lunn Fabrics tie dye panel.

Techniques:

Whole cloth painting. Freehand drawing and most writing made with airpen, using black fabric paint. Colored with fabric paints and regular brushes. Mostly machine sewn. White cotton, fabric paint.

Design Inspiration:

Libby Lehman's self portrait with spools of thread springing out of her head. I don't know the actual title. I made "For Love of Libby" for the group project "Inspired by Libby," created and curated by Clara Lawrence, as a tribute to Libby Lehman, probably the most amazing person in art quilting today, who went through an aneurysm and major stroke in the Spring of 2013, and for whose continuing medical bills this project plans to aid.

I got my favorite dog ever in 2010 when I turned 60, and named her after my local friend Libby Bruch, who had died earlier that year. I hoped that my Libby would have this Libby's personality, which was amazing. At Art Quilt Tahoe in November, 2012, I told Libby Lehman that I was hereby retro-naming my dog Libby also after HER, because she has amazed me more and more over the years we've known each other and taught at the same symposia.

So my piece "For Love of Libby" is about all three of these Libbys, but mostly about Libby Lehman, singing her praises for being such a kind, helpful, brilliant, tireless, and sweet person, artist, and teacher.

The piece of Libby Lehman's that I used for inspiration for my piece is her little self portrait that has spools of thread springing out of her head, as if sewing is all she can think of! Thread and colors and Thread play (the name she gave her website, book, etc.)

I drew all three Libby’s in my painting, along with me standing with them. I wrote stories on the piece, after I painted it in Libby colors of lime green, orange, and other bright colors she loves. Some of the stories are mine about the three Libbys, and I also did some research on Libby Lehman's life, which I wrote about on the piece, as well.