Winners of the Rust-Tex Collection

Beth Wheeler, has been a fiber artist for most of her life. She began embroidering by hand at age 5, crocheting at age 6, sewing garments for dolls and people at age 7, and quilting at age 16.

She is the author of hundreds of articles for consumer and trade publications and her 47th book, Next Steps in Altered Photo Artistry, was released in October 2009.

Whisper on the Wind

Rust-dyed cotton base with printed digital images, fabric paint, machine quilted, hand beaded.

Here is the story that inspired Beth to make this quilt.

"One spring day my grandmother, mother, and I went to the farm of a relative to see the spring wildflowers in the woods. I was mesmerized by the delicate shapes and colors of the various blossoms, but was disappointed when Grandmother said they couldn't go home with us. Grandmother told me, They would be unhappy away from their home in the woods and would die.

I quickly grew bored of looking at flowers that would not be in a vase in my room and wandered off, sat on a log, and imagined I could hear fairy voices on the wind. Their voices were soft as whispers and they spoke in a strange language."

Machine stitching on the the ancient language of Tamil, is in monofilament, to add texture without distracting color and is enhanced with hand-beaded "punctuation."The color was added with Earth Safe Finishes watercolor.

Beth's Website: http://www.threadography.net

Beth's Blog: http://www.threadsociety.blogspot.com