Helen Kelley Patchworks

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January, 1989 – Mexico – The Yucatan Peninsula shelters wondrous Mayan ruins. This pyramid stands with the sea at its back. On the steps is the ghost of a Mayan priest. The Mayan Sun God warms the scene.
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October, 1998 – Maryland – This Victorian home stands on the banks of a tide water river off the Chesapeake Bay. In front, in the salty water, sails a Log Canoe, indigenous to the area. The sky is sparkling blue, but the constant, fresh wind makes quilted ripples in the air.
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October, 1998 – Minneapolis – The quilt-maker’s own house is framed against the background of the Ruby McKim Little Houses. The rose-colored, oblong shapes around the border are the identical shape and size of the doors used to begin all of the buildings in this series of quilts.

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September, 1994 – Jamaica -The Caribbean Sea is incredibly blue. This quilt shows a souvenir stand beneath the trees by a sandy beach. On the lower left is a lizard, which one young man, when pressed to name it, said “it’s a house-lizard, mon!” The glorious Jamaican sun is quilted setting into the sea

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June, 1976 – Norway – The stave churches that dot the Norwegian high places were built by Viking ship builders 1000 years ago. Crosses and dragons decorate the roofs. These mountains are quilted to represent the dense forests and the sky is filled with “ribbon animal” designs, found on an ancient Viking ship.
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May, 1995 – San Francisco – This quilt is an attempt to recreate the Victorian houses that line the hills of San Francisco, using only the techniques of piecing and careful fabric selection to represent the lacy curtains in the windows. The dyed sky represents the fog that swirls around these houses daily

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April, 1986 – New York – The sameness of the vertical and horizontal lines of the buildings in Manhattan hide the diversity of people who live inside. This quilt gives you a peek inside the windows to view the hippie, the quilters, the old people and the Gypsy tea room. The generic cars let you imagine yourself in your own car, driving down the street.

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April, 1996 – England – This is an architecturally diverse land, but the one constant is the English love of flowers. Many homes are completely surrounded with blooms. Behind this Tudor house rises a moor with a row of poplar trees. The quilting features traditional North Country designs: the tea cup, feathered wreath and chain border.

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August, 1994 – Scotland – Edinburgh Castle is one of the jewels of Scotland. This is a nighttime view with the castle lit for the annual Tattoo celebration that is held on the esplanade. The flags bear the national symbol of Scotland, The Cross of St. Andrew.

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May, 1995 – New Zealand – The Maori meeting house represents the body and soul of a revered ancestor. This house has a large, carved statue with blue sea shell eyes at the peak of the roof. It is quilted with moko, Maori tattoo designs that represent the sea, the sun and the soul. The moko fabric used to represent the carved timbers was found in New Zealand.
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