Guild Archives

This piece began with improvisational piecing towards the beginning of the pandemic – things were “calm”. Then things became “Chaotic”. Finally many things about society were “Fractured”. These words are the names of individual pieces in this triptich. (Improvisationally pieced, sashiko stitched, machine quilted.)

This piece was started shorty after the loss of a dear friend. I didn’t then realize that it was my personal statement. The darkest background parts at the bottom signify the darkest moments. The background color lightens toward the top, signifying the lifting of the grief. The colorful areas are the happy moments we shared.Continue reading “Passage of Grief

Valerie Rodelli

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Paper piecing, applique, long-arm quilted by Barbara Deletzke This was the original New York Beauty pattern, I began this piece in the early 90’s. When I took it out to finish in 2010, I did not like it, so took connecting blocks out and replaced them, The border was an exercise in color and valueContinue reading “New York Beauty – original edition

Valerie Rodelli

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This was a hand dyed piece of chiffon. It was then attached to the canvas and embellished with wool, beads, chiffon, paintsticks. I began this piece with no expectations. It was fun to see it evolve. I am not a lover of things Victorian, but like the final result. This started in a class ofContinue reading “Feeling Victorian

Valerie Rodelli

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Drafted the compass pattern, paper pieced, quilted on a domestic sewing machine. This piece was begun in a class with Kris Lyn Kirsch about 10 years ago. I finished the paper piecing & quilted it over this 2013 summer.

Machine pieced and quilted and fused. It has thread embellishment in the form of “line”. This is an original pieced/fused piece. Inspiration was from studying Freiderich Hundertwasser’s art and his use of “line” as a design element. There is no straight line in the composition. His colors are clear and I had a great timeContinue reading “Hundertwasser Study #1

Valerie Rodelli

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Machine quilted and embellished with thread painting. Small pieces making up design were “encased” with tulle. Nature can be meditative and inspiring. Taking in the beauty and wonder of nature is spiritual “food for thought”.

Pieced, couching, threadwork, embellished with beads & silk fibers, machine quilted & stamped. I began this quilt 13 years ago and had no idea of how to complete it. It was put away until this year. When looking at it recently, I suddenly knew how to embellish and stamp it to complete it. Glad IContinue reading “All Things African

Valerie Rodelli

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Hand dyed fabric, appliqué, machine embroidered, machine quilted. Although the pattern was for a nightime gingko, I wanted mine to be a morning gingko. Thus, I changed the color palette to make it “Gingko Sunrise.”

Freeform collage modeled after a photo taken in Argentina. Threadwork over collage, machine quilted. This was an attempt to duplicate a sunset I saw while in Argentina. The silhouette of the tree against the sky was beautiful. There were marshes behind these trees.

Crazy quilt blocks made by various makers in a guild. They were bequeathed to me by a member who has since passed away. I arranged them in a way to showcase each one and make a typical Victorian crazy quilt. The names of the makers are not available to me anymore. This was assembled inContinue reading “Victorian Elegance

Valerie Rodelli

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Used background fabric, layered sequin fabric, then covered with a pleated sheer to simulate a highrise behind the sculpture. The “sculpture” was made with lame fabric & embellished (beaded) templates. [Part of the Chicago Icon series]

Textured fabrics, fused & machine freeform quilted. Borders were made from batik fabric & texturized with an iron. Original piece, taken from a photo, zoomed in, and made into an abstract design based on a realistic photo.

Piecing was improvisational. It was machine quilted. I wanted a very abstract piece with”structure”. My inspiration photo was my own photograph from Argentina. The project lended itself to improvisational piecing. There are many layers of structure.

Hand painted and hand stitched (except edge) to form a wired scroll attached to an antique wooden spool. Scroll can be manipulated in many ways. This was from an on-line class/challenge.  Fabric was painted, cut up and put back together & thread embellished by hand.  The edges are wired, edge is beaded.  Object was to “blur” boundaries between piecesContinue reading “Spool Unfurled

Valerie Rodelli

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One fabric in quilt body; cut up, pieced back together & rearranged in design. Borders are complementary fabric. Personally pieced, then longarm quilted by Barbara Deletzke

Hand marbled paper, handmade box and lid, bead embellishment. Colors & style of marbling was learned in a workshop. Box was made from templates of heavy cardboard.

This fabric was painted & sunprinted with natural plants. Free motion threadwork was then done on top only. Finally it was free-motion quilted. After centerpiece was painted and stitched, the borders were designed & thread painted. The “natural” theme was carried out with the free-motion quilting.