Customer Work - Judy Laddon

There's nothing that makes me happier than receiving an email or gallery submission with photos of something that a customer has made with my fabric. So I was thrilled to receive an email from Judy Laddon with her Harmonic Convergence series quilts. She was kind enough to agree to be interviewed on the blog.

irst, would you tell us about what drew you to and keeps you intrigued by the Harmonic Convergence pattern?

After the birth of my granddaughter five years ago, I got a crib quilt kit with Eric Carle-designed fabrics of fireflies, sun, moon, stars. Once I had pieced the top I discovered it was quite a bit bigger than I had expected. (I didn’t read the description very carefully, I guess!) So I took the plunge and trained myself to use a long-arm. That was eye-opening, because it opened up another level of artistry.

After that, I picked up several books on long-arm quilting techniques, and one of them, Karen McTavish’s book, “Mastering the Art of McTavishing,” illustrated a Ricky Tims-pattern quilt. When I saw it, I was immediately mesmerized by the combination of colors and shapes. The hand-dyed fabrics, like Vicki’s, create a dreamscape that shifts from one brilliant color to another. The convergence pattern, with its varying geometry, accentuated this flow of color and presented a woven puzzle … which fabric is flowing where?

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of experimenting with this geometric pattern, the gradient colors and the sensuous, curved stitching. Plus, the end result is always a surprise.

How did you get into fiber art and quilting?
I learned to sew as a teenager, made all my clothes, and later, as a mother, I  expanded my sewing into children’s clothes, doll clothes, Halloween costumes, pillows, wall hangings, purses, curtains, prom dresses, quilts.

What inspires you?
Fabrics themselves are a big inspiration! Can you believe all the designs people come up with? Naturally, I’m a big fan of Vicki Welsh’s fabrics. I’ve made a number of quilts with Kaffe Fassett print designs. Many batik fabrics take my breath away. And for decades I’ve admired (and used in projects) the reverse-
appliqués of the Kuna Indians of the San Blas islands and the Hmongs of Southeast Asia. Guatemalan textile art, especially from Chichicastenango, is utterly beautiful.

Do you find that you lean toward certain color palettes?
Everything goes, but I’m especially drawn to bright colors.

What do you like best about your creative working space?
My sewing area is in a bright third-floor loft, with skylights.

Do you sell your work? If so, how can someone contact you about these pieces?
My pieces are for sale, and I’m happy to do commissions if there’s a certain color palette someone wants to match. Please contact me via email: jladdon at gmail dot com