a fiber-filled reintroduction to drawing

These dishtowels do not win the prize for the most belated birthday gift I've ever given, but they certainly make the short list. What was supposed to be a pretty little present for my sister (and kind-spirited spoof on turning thirty), morphed into a series of dishtowel-sized, mixed-media tapestries. This process, which felt very similar to the way I used to approach my works on paper as a printmaker in college, must have satisfied some particular need in me. I love to make puppets and purses, but it felt good to draw again...even if I was drawing with thread.

So, a whopping three and a half months after she blew out the candles, I surprised my sister with dishtowels much too pretty to use.

Each of these "towels" is made with some combination of screen print, embroidery, acrylic paint and appliqued fabric.