Durham Community Foundation

Mourning Doves for Durham Community Foundation

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Mourning Doves is a quilted chair done in 100% cotton fabric, with appliqué and trapunto techniques. It is on display at the Abilities Centre in Whitby, Ontario
Mourning Doves is a quilted chair done in 100% cotton fabric, with appliqué and trapunto techniques. It is on display at the Abilities Centre in Whitby, Ontario

I was asked by Durham Community Foundation to participate in a Chair Affair as part of the Odyssey Ball. Artists were invited to pick up a piece of broken furniture and transform it into a piece of art. They will be part of a live auction at the ball on Feb 2 2012. I went out to Mackie Moving  where they had gathered broken or damaged furniture and invited eleven artists and designers to come pick out something to transform. I picked out a worn out bedroom chair. When I got it home I discovered that it was in terrible shape and required more than the quilted slipcover I had imagined. It needed new springs, foam and padding. I imagined it as an accent piece in a bedroom or foyer. I have many Mourning Doves in my garden and they have such lovely silhouettes. Mine sit in an arbour, but their shape is lovely on a wire. The doves are appliquéd onto the cream fabric and batting is added behind them using a trapunto technique to make them puff out. You may be able to see the trapunto effect on the seat in the turquoise fabric. Then I layered more batting and another layer of fabric and quilted each of the eight pieces. Andrew of Uxbridge Custom Upholstery took my pieces and did a fabulous job of rebuilding it. When it was done and I showed it to my friend Sue Carmichael at Quilters Cupboard in Uxbridge, she said it was calling out for a pillow! What a lovely added touch. I’ll write a post about the new owner after the auction!