Quilts tell the stories of our lives through their shapes, colors and textures. They hold a history of their makers as well as the people who care for them. They become sacred treasures. Gardens are about hope and the creation of sacred space. Both help us to go beyond the ordinary moments and to enter into a world of deeper meaning and beauty. They help us connect with a body of knowledge, with ourselves and with other people. When I am not working on an Earth Quilt Garden I am working on the creation of a fiber quilt. This body of work is about process, relationships and hope.

The Earth Quilt Project/Public Art

What continues to excite me is discovering the uniqueness of each new community I visit: its people, community focus, physical environment and its architecture. My goal is to transform all of this information into a quilt pattern. I thoroughly enjoy collaborating with others to create a sense of place that is deeply personal: helping people to connect with their roots, every day life and creative gifts. I like to plant seeds for continued involvement and a sense of hope. I am always thrilled to see how the process of creating an Earth Quilt brings the community together. In schools, the process is fully integrated into the school curriculum. At a dedication we celebrate with music, dance and poetry.

Fiber “Art Quilts”

I create quilts because I have a deep respect for its history as a vehicle for personal expression. I enjoy the tactile qualities of cloth. I work intuitively, like the jazz musicians whom I greatly admire. I improvise, always searching for a sense of movement, harmony and balance. I am fascinated by the process of selecting, cutting, joining, applying layers, cutting into layers and creating surface design using the sewing machine as a instrument to create organic shapes and complex textures. Moving with the rhythm of my needle, stitches and images appear giving a new voice to each piece.

2005, Norma Bradley