Patti's studio

Patti Shaw and I are good friends. We go way back to when my husband and I bought the house across the alley from she and her husband, Benson, in 1993. At that time, neither of us were artists working in fibers. Alan and I sold that house when I was pregnant with our second daughter and I lost touch with Patti for a while. When we reconnected, Patti was making art quilts and I was just beginning to explore surface design. Patti encouraged me to join Contemporary Quilt Arts Association. CQA really helped me to develop my skills and methods, so I’ve got her to thank for helping me get started on what would become my career path.

Patti has an amazing studio. It’s actually the entire house that she and Benson lived in when I first met them. They bought another place and have kept the house as a studio. It’s hard not to be jealous of the amount of space she has to work in and she is able to keep it as both studio and gallery of her work.

Neither Patti nor I are really making art quilts these days (well, my pieces are actually quilts but that’s another matter). Patti has been creating textiles with the candle wick tabs left after people light votive candles. She uses waxed linen to tie together these metal remnants into blankets. The work is slow and meditative. Much of her work dealt with religious themes, not I think as worship, but as a way to honor the intention that spirit holds for those who pray.

Patti and I have coffee and a studio visit every couple of months. Along with catching about our kids and spouses, we talk about our work. We bounce ideas off each other and share information about upcoming calls for entry. Sometimes we give each other feedback on work in progress. I really value having a friend and fellow artist with whom I share such a long history.

a tableaux in Patti's studio/gallery