Art Quilts by Laura Wasilowski

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Prolific, multi-talented artist Laura Wasilowski lives in Elgin, Illinois, where she displays her gorgeous work on her Artfabrik website. Laura teaches workshops and seminars, produces luminous hand-dyed fabrics and threads, writes books, designs kits and patterns, and creates beautiful quilts using a number of fusible applique methods that she developed.   Here are some of Laura's vibrant quilts with a fruit theme that really caught our eyes.

Folk Art Pineapple, 15 x 18, by Laura Wasilowski
 

These pure colors of nature remind us so much of Hawaii, with lush green pineapple fields surrounded by the blues of the ocean and the sky. You can purchase the pattern separately, or Laura also offers both the pattern and the fabric kit together on her patterns page at Artfabrik.  Based on the eye-catching design, this is definitely a pineapple with personality.

Color Chip Collage by Laura Wasilowski

Lively pears spill right out of the woven basket, just waiting to be picked up as a snack. Notice how the curved white stitching against the dark blue background gives a great sense of energy to this work. Laura teaches this collage as a one day workshop in using simple fusing techniques to create a pictorial or abstract small quilt. No sewing machine is needed ; and for a small kit fee, Laura provides a hand-out and her stunning hand-dyed fabric. We think that this workshop would be so fun and inspirational !

Produce Department # 2, 17 x 18,  by Laura Wasilowski 
 

Laura writes, "Inspired by family, friends, and home, I create stories in cloth. My narrative quilts begin with unique, hand-dyed fabrics. These become whimsical wall pieces that reflect a joyful and colorful life." This apple quilt sparkles with life due to the beautiful fabric collage which shows the play of light and shadow on the apple's surface. This original fused design, embellished with embroidered stitches, is for sale on Laura's Artfabrik site.

Fanciful Stitches, Colorful Quilts by Laura Wasilowski

Laura's latest book, Fanciful Stitches, Colorful Quilts has easy-to-follow directions and patterns for making 11 fused applique and embroidered projects, including this adorable cozy cottage, a houseboat, lighthouse, and windmill. You can see a preview of all the patterns at Artfabrik. There's a chapter on how to select stitches and do hand embroidery for fused art projects,  as well as a chapter on how to do a  time-saving smooth finish wrapped binding. This intriguing book is a wonderful way to practice your fusing and embroidery skills together, while making some really pretty small quilts.

Note : In addition to Laura's Artfabrik website, please check out her fun blog. She details her delightful adventures as a guest instructor on a European cruise,along with many helpful tips about quilt making.

Image credits: Images shown are with the generous permission of the artist.