See below for close up detail picture.

I've been a Susan Carlson fan for years (click here to check out her website). I *love* her quilts, especially the fish quilts. I have her book, "Free-Form Quilts"; great eye candy. Her technique relies on machine quilting to hold it all together, and since machine quilting isn't my thing, I figured I probably wouldn't give it a try anytime soon.

But we've got this fish bathroom: fish wallpaper, plaster and tin fish on the walls, a cool fish print I got in Seattle, fish shower curtain.... It needed a fish quilt. I don't think I've ever made a quilt for a specific purpose like this before. Well, I mean, I made quilts for my kids, and I thought I was making the separation quilts for my living room walls, but this time I was doing my own sort of Martha Stewart-ish coordinating colors kind of thing. Scary.

But anyway, I got out Susan's book and picked out a pattern. Cut out and glued my fabrics to the foundation, just like she said. Stuck it on a cool handdyed background, covered it with black tulle (cause that was the only color I could find, too lazy to go to the store). And then hand quilted it with pretty colored threads. Because hand quilting is what I do. I didn't much like quilting through the areas where there were lots of layers and/or glue; I couldn't use my usual quilting needles, they weren't strong enough. But quilting "through" the tulle wasn't a problem like I was afraid it might me. It was mostly the layers and glue that got me down.

But I did it, and I think he looks swell. I probably won't do anything like this again, but I sure do think he's pretty.

(October 2002)