FNF 4 -- Award of excellence

The fourth-place winner at Form, Not Function was Gay Lasher of Denver for her digitally printed whole-cloth quilt.

Gay Lasher, No Exit (detail below)

I like the design, a complicated mix of dense areas with open space, with curves and stripes placed with a sure hand.  Digital printing allows  quiltmakers to use complex images, impossible with traditional piecing or applique, and this is an excellent example of what can be done.

But what I find particularly stunning is the quilting.  The printed image, looked at up close, has irregular lines between the different colors, and Lasher has quilted precisely along the boundaries, preserving every wave and wobble.

With no knots or thread ends visible, I can only imagine the painstaking work that went into the finishing.  I might have wished for a bit more quilting in the open areas, where the fullness will no doubt droop over time as the piece is displayed -- which I hope it will be!

This award of excellence is given by River City Fiber Artists, a small group of six to which I have belonged for getting on twenty years; I'm proud that we helped start the FNF show and that we are still supporting it through our sponsorship.  Providing an award at an art show is a gratifying experience, and I'll write more on that subject tomorrow.  But meanwhile, hats off to Gay Lasher.