Mount Lebanon Series
This series of quilts was inspired by a pilgrimage to the Mount Lebanon Shaker Village in New York State. The accidental, raw beauty of empty and decaying interiors awaiting restoration – knocked out doorjambs, random linear gashes in walls that exposed ribbons of lath, and cream-on-cream layers of patches in the plaster – would visually translate into the minimal piecing design of these quilts.
The delicate, wobbly striations of the hand-quilting recall enlarged fingerprints or wood-grain, and reference 19th century whole-cloth quilts and cold-weather petticoats in which closely-placed stitching served a purpose in holding together the top and bottom fabric, with the loose fill sandwiched in between. The lines – drawn by eye not measure – are exquisitely hand-stitched by women of a Minnesota Amish community with whom I collaborated since 1996.
Here's what Wendy Goodman of New York Magazine has to say about the quilts in her "Design Hunting" column: "She is giving the grandmotherly art of quilts a whole new spin with her subtle, spare aesthetic. As wall art of furniture dressing, I think they are sublime."
Originally exhibited at Ralph Pucci International, NYC, in 2010. Also see the Centerline quilt. Learn more about the made to order process, and find the details including pricing here.
Denyse Schmidt Quilts
Denyse's distinct and timeless aesthetic bridges old and new, honoring the traditions of this centuries' old craft, while inspiring a new generation of quilters.
