Title: Descent into Chaos
Year: 2023
Dimensions: Approximately 47” x 47”
Technique: Improvisational piecing and free-motion quilting
Construction: Pieced quilt top with integrated 1/2” linear elements
Quilting: Free-motion quilting using variegated threads
Materials: Cotton fabrics and cotton thread

Descent into Chaos is about breaking free. The quilt begins in a restrained, grayscale world—structured, predictable, and safe—before giving way to color, movement, and visual disruption. That shift reflects a journey away from conformity and toward individuality.

Created through improvisational design, this piece embraces unpredictability rather than resisting it. Subtle order exists beneath the surface, but it is intentionally challenged by bold color and energetic forms. The work pushes back against the quiet expectation to stay within lines, to remain muted, or to follow what is considered “normal.”

This quilt is a reminder that chaos is not something to fear. It is often where creativity expands, identities form, and freedom takes hold. Within the disorder, there is vitality, choice, and the messy beauty of becoming something more fully your own.

This quilt began with a stack of 18-inch fabric squares and a technique I refer to as “stack and whack.” Rather than planning individual blocks, I made a series of random cuts through the stacked fabric, allowing star forms to emerge organically through the process. Once the first star block came together, I was drawn to its structure and energy and decided to repeat the approach to create the remaining blocks.

The progression across the quilt moves intentionally from restraint to intensity, shifting from a more monochromatic palette in the upper left to increasingly vibrant color toward the lower right. Each star block reflects that transition, building visual momentum across the surface.

Quilting decisions were closely tied to the fabric choices. Monotone areas were quilted using variegated monotone thread, while the more colorful sections were quilted with variegated threads that echoed and enhanced the surrounding color. The quilting was treated as an active design element rather than a neutral finish, adding texture, movement, and contrast.

The density and direction of the quilting also created a highly detailed and visually engaging back, making the reverse side an important extension of the finished work rather than an afterthought.

Exhibitions

• A Vermont Quilt Sampler, Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, VT — 2025
  Descent into Chaos was selected for inclusion in the 2025 A Vermont Quilt Sampler exhibition and displayed at Billings Farm & Museum. The quilt was also featured in promotional materials for the exhibition.

• Bennington Quilt Show, Bennington, VT — 2024
  Exhibited as part of the Bennington Quilt Show, highlighting contemporary quilt work by regional artists.

Publications & Online Features

• Featured in promotional materials and online posts for A Vermont Quilt Sampler — 2025
  Images of Descent into Chaos were used in exhibition promotion across social media and online platforms associated with Billings Farm & Museum.

(No awards associated with this piece.)