If thy soul check thee that I come so near
Swear to thy blind soul that I was thy Will
The book opens with very graphic designs that combine traditonal quilting principles with modern fabric manipulation techniques.  Fabrics are upcycled from 1960s brocade and damask evening dresses.  They are combined with modern embroideries and hand manipulated techniques normally used for couture dressmaking.  By combining book making techniques with couture dressmaking techniques, the final pages have a precise, purposeful appearance.

Hand carved linocut printed on newspaper and cotton with embroidery. This is a center page from the handmade textile book In Bloom.  This page is in response to the following lines 2-4  in Shakespeare's Sonnet 18:  

Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.

Handmade book inspired by Shakespeare's sonnet 18, Shall I compare thee to a summer's day.  The pink floral cover, made entirely from textiles, reminds us of the beauty of Spring and rebirth.  Creating flowers from fabric, although beautiful and meticulously crafted, reminds us of the brief life of real blooms and life.  Like the seasons, nothing lasts forever.  

Hand painted wedding dress with silkscreen.  Hand painted cotton page appliquéd with embroidery and postage stamps.  This page is in response to Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, lines 8 and 9: 

By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Inspired by Shakespeare's Sonnet 85, "My tongue-tied Muse," explores the literary devices of alliteration and enjambment with textiles and texture.  This is achieved through subtle tonal changes in the fabrics.  Historically, the muses were the one of the goddesses that personify the arts.  Here the Muse is language (poetry) and her eloquence and harmony are captured in the meticulously sewn complex patterns throughout the pages of the book.  

Handmade textile book with more than 50 handmade fabric flowers that decorate the cover.  This is book number 23 in the series "Love Sonnets from Shakespeare to Baltimore." Inspired by Shakespeare's Sonnet 85, "The Fragile," explores the literary devices of alliteration and enjambment with textiles and texture.  This is achieved through subtle tonal changes in the fabrics throughout the 16 pages.  Historically, the muses were the one of the goddesses that personify the arts.  In The Fragile, the Muse is language (poetry) and her eloquence and harmony are captured in the meticulously sewn complex patterns throughout the pages of the book.