THE
MAGIC
OF FABRIC
​Art quilts by Leela Cherian
 Tidepools45" x 36" Hand dyed and commercial cottons, laces, braids, etc. Handmade rocks (embroidered, felted, beaded and stuffed), crochet, beading, machine quilting |  |  Tidepools, Detail |
|---|---|---|
 Tidepools, Detail, Rocks |  Rainforest A47" x 37" Hand dyed and commercial cottons Soft edge appliqué, painting, machine embroidery, machine quilting, beading |  Rainforest B43" x 34" Made for my beloved eldest granddaughter and her fiancé. Fabric collage, beads, charms Fused and raw edge appliqué, embroidery |
 Tea in the Marquee48" x 28" Dyed and printed cottons Fused appliqué, individual stuffed tabs for the "marquee" |  Party Bird27" x 29" Inspired by the ocellated turkey of the Yucatán Peninsula. Hand dyed cottons Layered fused appliqué, machine quilting, sequin embellishment |  Studies in Texture A5" x 7" Mixed media Layering, scrunching, fusing, burning, hand and machine embroidery, beading, embellishments, sun printing |
 Studies in Texture B5" x 7" Mixed media Layering, scrunching, fusing, burning, hand and machine embroidery, beading, embellishments, sun printing |  Studies in Texture C5" x 7" Mixed media Layering, scrunching, fusing, burning, hand and machine embroidery, beading, embellishments, sun printing |  Studies in Texture D5" x 7" Mixed media Layering, scrunching, fusing, burning, hand and machine embroidery, beading, embellishments, sun printing |
 Studies in Texture E5" x 7" Mixed media Layering, scrunching, fusing, burning, hand and machine embroidery, beading, embellishments, sun printing |  Studies in Texture F5" x 7" Mixed media Layering, scrunching, fusing, burning, hand and machine embroidery, beading, embellishments, sun printing |  Studies in Texture G5" x 7" Mixed media Layering, scrunching, fusing, burning, hand and machine embroidery, beading, embellishments, sun printing |
 Studies in Texture H5" x 7" Mixed media Layering, scrunching, fusing, burning, hand and machine embroidery, beading, embellishments, sun printing |  Studies in Texture I5" x 7" Mixed media Layering, scrunching, fusing, burning, hand and machine embroidery, beading, embellishments, sun printing |  Reading Nook29" x 24" Hand dyed and commercial cottons Soft edge and fused appliqué, machine quilting |
 Street56" x 36" Hand dyed and commercial cottons, mixed fabrics, laces, trims Soft edge appliqué, machine quilting, embellishments |  Street, Detail |
When I asked my granddaughter Rahael for the subject of her choice she said "Tide pools" without hesitation. She had so many joyous memories of picnics on the California coast, of wading in tide pools, of having her finger gently nipped by a sea anemone.
I started reading up on the subject and looking at images. They were all rather brown and dreary looking and not my kind of colors. But the rocks were encrusted (a lovely word for a textile artist), barnacled, algaed, and the life which had evolved in these so amazingly suited for the vagaries of tide and environment. I started with the rocks – handmade, embroidered, felted, beaded and stuffed – and each one became a miniature landscape. Hardly like a real rock, but I was hooked. A whole bag of rocks needed many pools and so my scene became a series of interlinked pools. Rahael's only request was the inclusion of a sea lion and so he sits surveying the scene. I loved working on this piece and again I learnt a lot. Thank you, Rahael.