A Mother's Love

I belong to a quilting group called Designing Quilters that has a yearly theme challenge. Two years ago the theme was Motherhood. I had just begun production on a documentary project called Prairie Churches and had been filming a dozen beautiful old Orthodox churches in Manitoba. I found the beautifully decorated interiors -- and especially the icons -- very touching. I printed a copy of a beautiful old Russian Madonna on silk, made her a frame with an onion dome and got busy beading. The piece got to this stage (which wasn't enough beading to suit me) by the project deadline so I mounted it on Tyvex and sewed a backing on. But the minute the show was taken down, I ripped it apart and began adding more beads.

I intend it to be heavily beaded all over to be true to the encrusted icons that adorn the Orthodox churches. This project is my priority because I've worked a trade with a friend. My Madonna piece for one of her exurbant fabric collages. She thinks I'm nuts but since I'm not religious I'd feel funny hanging it in my home and this is going to be too gorgeous to sit on a shelf. She'll be happy in Virginia's madonna collection. Work remaining to be done: More beading. Then backing.