I recently moved from the United States back to Lithuania, the country where I was born and raised. Living here, things that most quilters take for granted, are a big challenge for me.
Quilting has never been a true Lithuanian craft. Women here were taught to weave, knit or crochet from the raw gray color of flax fibers. I love these tones, they are in my blood, but I am also drawn to bright colors. I feel that I belong to both cultures now and that I am on a mission of blending together Lithuanian and American craft and art. But when I look at my art, it looks more like a rebellion against a gray world.
I must dye my own fabrics in conditions that many people would find challenging. Working with hand dyed fabrics has completely changed my style, and has taken me on the road to the world of art quilts.
My inspiration lies mostly in nature: flowers, trees, leaves, rocks, water. In my quilt I am not painting a real picture. I only follow nature’s lines, and shapes, and colors, and I try to catch the movement. I keep my focus on color and texture. My hand dyed fabrics supply the colors, and machine quilting and, sometimes, hand stitching, satisfies my desire for texture.
For now I concentrate on curved piecing and exploring the versatility of the log cabin block. I don’t make a precise log cabin block; instead, I improvise by sewing narrow strips around the small center until I am satisfied with the form and size. These blocks tell the story of my quilt and are often complemented by a curved pieced background.
I see many possibilities ahead in using just these two elements.
Art quilts
