Susan James

In my textile artworks, I explore colour, form and texture through hand-stitched appliqué, patchwork, quilting and embroidery. I draw inspiration from a wide range of artists, including Ellsworth Kelly, Joan Brown, Joyce Wieland, and the improvisational quilting tradition of the Gees Bend quilt collective. My creative process is somatic, meditative and slow.

The improvisational approach to quilting has opened my mind to what a quilt can be, in process and product.

Improvisational Quilting is a distant cousin to traditional and modern “pattern-based” quilting styles which value precision-piecing and meticulous stitching. In contrast, the improvisational approach is a liberated form of quilting that is largely unscripted and comes to life while in a state of creative flow. It is about playing with the technical conventions of quilting and having the freedom to explore new ways of making.

Improvisational Quilting has also given me permission to rethink the function of a quilt. In the simplest definition, a quilt is a functional textile composed of three layers stitched together for the purpose of keeping a person warm.  But functionality can mean different things to different people. The quilts I make are in service of satisfying my hands and my mind. In this way, they function as a record of my creative practice.

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