This work is part of “The Gallery of Invisible Cities” organized by the Italian National Guild Quiltitalia.  The competition theme was a journey through the cities mentioned by the writer Italo Calvino.  My quilt is a detail taken from an altar piece in the church of St. Andrew in Portogruaro “The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple” by Giovanni Martini (painted 1512-1513).  The entire altar piece measures 381 by 285 cm, but the part I chose to reproduce (handmaidens with a basket and doves) is about 100 by 200 cm.  The greatest difficulty was matching the green and violet of the gowns, which are identical to the painting of the same name by Carpaccio.

Techniques:  Fabric painting with oil paint sticks on double-yarn cotton, hand appliqué. I used bleach in order to obtain the shading of the green silk creating the illusion of movement in the gowns.  Free-hand machine quilting and hand quilting in a few areas.

Materials: Double-yarn cotton, batiks, silk, and cotton; rayon and transparent mono-filament thread.

In: Sacred