Fiberactions Challenge Quilt - Genesis

My quilt, Genesis, was inspired by the word "Initiative" and is explained on the Fiberactions blog. Click here to see all of the fabulous challenge quilts which are being revealed throughout the day by a dozen fiber artists throughout the country. You will find information about the inspiration, construction and methodology used in creating these unique art quilts as well as links to many other relevant blogs.

The "genesis" of Genesis is explained on Fiberactions, but the actual creation process for the quilt is explained below.

Whole Cloth Section: I first made a 16"x20" whole cloth quilt with loads of threadwork representing "Day 1" of creation when "the spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters" Genesis 1:2. I bound the piece, then cut out the middle section, slightly smaller than 11x14" to accommodate a precut archival matboard which was to be fixed to the back of the quilt and suspend the inner section.

Center Suspended Section: The murky colors of the border are replaced by pure pigment in this piece. Genesis 1:6 "And God said let there

be a firmament in the midst of the waters..." vs. 9-11 "Let the waters...be gathered together into one place and let dry land appear... (the) waters were gathered together (and) called Seas".

This piece was made separately using topstitch and curved piecing methods then quilted and bound with zigzag stitch. I sewed flat

hooks to the back and then tied the piece as evenly as I could to the matboard into which I made holes with an awl. Brown hemp thread and red cotton represents the Earth suspended within the universe. I then glued the matboard onto the back of the (formerly) whole cloth quilt with gel medium.

Of note: The black border around the center rectangle in the overall photo of the piece is actually the wall on which the piece was photographed. The center piece is suspended with no other support than the hemp thread you see in the photo to the left.