Playing With the Lake

I had been wanting to use the purple Thai silk remnant sent to me by my sister-in-law in yet another lake piece. The drama and richness of its color and texture are perfect for depicting what's happening out on the lake many days this time of year.

Lake #43 (13"x 12")

...and here it is before the quilting. There's a strip of blue and white floral silk brocade under the loosely torn batting and roving making up the cloud bank.

I enjoy making each and every lake quilt but, this next one even more so. It was created for our older son's 41st birthday present. He had previously chosen Lake #23. However, I inadvertently included that one with the whole bunch taken to the gallery. So, he got to direct the making of this one.

Lake #45 - (13"x 12")

He requested a brilliant sunny, wavy, perfect beach kind of day. He liked the more dramatic, stormy lake pieces. But those reminded him of work rather than play ... he bikes almost daily the twelve plus miles along the lake shore to work in the Chicago loop.

I liked having him visit in my studio and tell me how he feels about the lake. He'd give a thumbs up, or down, to my choices of fabric (even approved the zebra's head in the foreground of the beach). At one point he brought me a length of thread laying on the living room carpet. It made a perfect wave near the horizon.