Nancy DiDonato

I mentioned in a previous post about taking a workshop my guild offered with Nancy DiDonato as the instructor. It was more an informational meeting and was called, "HOW'D SHE DO THAT?" What a great class, a wonderful lady and informal teacher! She had an amazing trunk show and lecture the night before at our guild meeting and the class was the next day. She brought all of her quilts to the class so we could ooh and awe over them some more and look at them for the techniques she used.

Here she is with an Umbrella she revamped. She made it out of silks.



This piece has a Birch Bark Border. Yep, real Birch Bark. But before you get your panties in a bunch, she harvested the bark off of a fallen tree. Birch paper is protected and it against the law to strip trees of their skin, because it kills the trees.

This next piece is her Gustav Klimt, I forgot the official name of this piece. I know it's not the Hug or the Kiss but of course you see she perfected the look to his masterpieces but by quilting it.


This next piece she was working with her "In the Square" series and has 3 separate quilts which are then floated into the next larger dimentional piece. She uses radiator plugs, wire, beads and anything else she can find to create the look and feel she currently is working on. The white is the color of the vinyl bag she stores this in. Where you see white, you'll see the wall or see through that area.


This stained glass mermaid is unbelievable. With this she used a lame to soften the water and give it a lustrous look and used grey thread for her leading. Beautifully done!

This quilt which has the iron door that elulates a door from Fort Ticonderoga was made from pipe cleaners.

This piece she created was in her series "to fill the space". There are 4 separate little quilts which are then suspended together with some findings, (such as beads, metal rings and other chotskies).

This next quilt was to get the feel of a forest fire. Notice the discarded "CHAR-BROIL" placard she affixed to the front. The floral fabric underneath was something else entirely. The little quilt with the placard dangled beneath her forest.

Sow's Ear Purse (or something very similiar to that name) is this next award winning quilt. Check out all the heavily embroidered silk purses hanging off this piece. Also the pig, has boar bristles on it that she stitched monofilament thread all over it to have that prickly sensation.

This last photo is her "stamp it" piece. She took a class with someone else on stamping, sorry I can't remember her name right now. Anyway, just after taking the class she was without power for four days. So she took advantage by savaging her house to find unique and different items that she could stamp out on this dark canvas the teacher had given her. To finish though, she used vinyl screen cloth that she painted.

I hope you enjoyed my pictures even though some are sideways and not too crisp. With everything she shared, I have 11 pages of notes written down. With each quilt, she explained how she manipulated, painted, couched, sewed and created each work of art. I am only sharing a tidbit of the information and the quilts she shared.

So, if you ever have the chance to take one of her classes, make sure you do. It is soooo worth it. I have marveled at her techniques for years now and would you believe she started quilting in 2005. Amazing! Of course her sewing and upholstering experience come in handy, but I think that has taken a back seat since she found quilting. (Sound familiar?)

Enjoy your evening,
Jane