Merry May

Artist Statement

Sewing since age 8, and quilting since my early 20s, I began teaching quiltmaking in 1990 and have never looked back. I am inspired by color, and often put colors together in unexpected ways.
I also like to play with the illusion of depth by making a flat surface appear to be 3-dimensional from a distance. It isn’t easy to accomplish, but when it is done correctly it is amazing.
From a young age I have worked with graphic design, and to me quilting is the ultimate challenge because I have to work with what is available to me, rather than using paint.
During the past few years I have been making Fidget Quilts for dementia patients and children with learning disabilities. These pieces are a challenge because of the variety of fabrics that are used, as well as the additional elements that are added for interaction. They also must be very well constructed for durability purposes. In addition, they need to be fun. Whenever I deliver them to my fellow quilters who are in charge of charity distribution, they will sit and play with them during our quilt guild meetings!
To me, every piece I produce is a learning experience as well as a bit of an experiment. Not really knowing what it will look like until it has been completed is always exciting.
My maternal grandmother taught me how to sew, but she never made quilts. After I had been making quilts for about 10 years I discovered that there were four generations of quiltmakers on my father’s side of the family. It had skipped a generation or two before it showed up again. I was excited that I didn’t just get it from the milkman! lol