I was very excited when on July 5, 2021, I was notified by Martha Sielman that she had chosen one of my pieces, Bank Machine Blues, for the book she was writing on birds created with fibre art. It has taken over two years for her to put this book together and have it published by Schiffer publishing but it is a beautiful book entitled Stitched Journeys with Birds. I received my copy in mid October 2023.
You were allowed to submit 3 pieces for consideration.
Bank Machine Blues was created for the 2005 Grand National Quilt Exhibition with the theme : Airborne. I painted my background fabric and used free motion embroidery on warm and natural quilt batt to make the loons. I attached the loons so that they were 3-d. My inspiration was the $20 bill that was in circulation at the time but I wanted it in colour rather than the drab green that it currently was. I used my family initials and order of birth for the serial numbers. In my artist statement I said that you go to the bank Machine, take out $20 bills and they become airborne and fly away. The section above the $20 bill represents those that got away.
