This series of wall hangings was inspired by my daughter's reluctance to get rid of a mildew-stained shower curtain.
The cotton shower curtain had a monochromatic print of large flowers and butterflies. My daughter asked me to make a wall hanging using a couple of the butterflies, and the series was born! The first piece features two large butterflies appliqued on a mocha solid. I added a bit of color to the butterflies using Sharpies and rubbing alcohol. I did a bit of trapunto work on the butterflies and free-motioned the piece on my sit down midarm. It hangs in my daughter's bathroom.
The huge flowers left on the remnants of the shower curtain begged to be used next. One was colored with Sharpies and rubbing alcohol in shades of purple, orange and yellow. I appliqued it on a black background and free motioned it as well. That wall hanging was accepted into the juried East Cobb Quilt Show in Marietta, GA. It was also shown at the Georgia National Fair.
When our local arts guild called for "green" works of art for a special show, I created the next wall hanging using a flower from the same shower curtain. It is my favorite in the series. I applied color using Sharpies and rubbing alcohol, appliqued it to a lime green groung and then quilted it heavily. That piece was donated to a local charit for auction and was purchased by a dear friend.
The final piece featured the last of the shower curtain butterflies. For this wall hanging, I again applied color with Sharpies and rubbing alcohol but also added blades of grass in batiks to the purple background.
This piece was haning in my sewing room when we had a plumber replacing a toilet. The plumber had informed me that he would charge $100 to dispose of the old commode, and I KNEW my husband wouldn't agree to that! The plumber left a young apprentice to finish the job and within minutes, the apprentice had difficulties and needed the plumber's assistance to proceed. While he waited for his boss to return, he watched me sew and perused my work on the walls. When he saw this particular wall hanging, he exclaimed, "Ooh! My mama would love that! She has a butterfly tatoo that looks a lot like that butterfly! Her birthday is today." He asked the price, and I told him $75. The young man asked if I would hold it until he got paid at the end of the week HIs mama deseserved to get her birthday gift that night, so I made this proposition to the apprentice: "You take that old commode with you when you leave, and you can HAVE the quilt for your mama!" It was a win-win!
Maker: Valerie Duff
Quilter: Valerie Duff
Year Made: 2019
Owned By: Various persons
Size: NA
Shows & Museums: East Cobb Quilt Show, Georgia National Fair
Awards: NA
