75" x 48", 2005

In 2005, California artist Desiree Habicht planted her entire side yard with Icelandic poppies. The resulting show proved popular with neighbors, who all commented that the blooms looked like they were made of crepe paper. A quilt idea was born! Desiree did several drawings and paintings of the flowers, which became the pattern for the quilt. She hand painted the fabric for the flowers, stems, and leaves, and adjusted their positions to recreate the look of light dancing through each petal. The flower centers were embellished with beads and crystals, and the pods stuffed and embroidered with yarn. The poppies were then machine appliquéd to the background fabric and further embellished with crystals. Desiree began quilting in 2001 and considers herself an artist with a growing love of fabric.