181/2" x 263/4", 2006

Like many quilters, Jan Reed began her love affair with crafts and textiles in the 1970s sewing clothes, crocheting, and stitching embroidery. About eight years ago, with the arrival of her sixth grandchild, Jan began experimenting with quilting techniques at home and in online classes. Esterita Austin’s appliqué course and Marilyn Belford’s fabric portrait class inspired Jan to focus on pictorial images, such as this quilt depicting her granddaughter Shelby with her dog Trevor. Jan used photographs to outline the images, and then fused individual pieces onto muslin. She machine appliquéd the segments and then lightly colored them with Tsukineko fabric ink to highlight realistic details such as Shelby’s teeth and Trevor’s nose. Jan is eager to learn more from talented quilting artists and teachers, as well as her local art quilt group.
Designer: Jan Reed