Fabric House Portraits

As I 
think about where I'd like to go with my artwork this year, I've been looking back at some photos of work I created in years gone by.

For about 15 years I did fabric house portraits, making custom pictures of homes, schools and even a church! My first attempts were pretty simple, but over the years I developed more complicated techniques, using a combination of quilting and decorator fabrics and finishing every edge with a neat zig-zag stitch. I belonged to an artisans' co-op and had my sample house portrait displayed there, with business cards nearby, so that folks could order directly from me.

The interaction with customers was interesting. Some were very particular about details, some were appreciative of anything I did. Some pictures were done as gifts and some were special mementos of treasured family homes. Frequently the unveiling of a finished piece was rewarded with a hug or even tears.  There is something so personal and precious about a home.

I'm thinking of taking this up again, using paper as a medium instead of fabric. I think a house and yard could be rendered very crisply in cut paper with even more dimensionality than with fabric.

 I plan to give it a try!