Donna Radner has been making quilts for more than 25 years and we have been friends for almost as long. You might say we grew into adults together. When we first met, at a quilt guild meeting Northwest, DC, we were both just beginning to explore quiltmaking. There were very few places in the DC area to buy interesting fabrics at that time.
Radner was always fascinated by color and pattern. In the early years it was clear she had a real talent for putting unusual colors together in a way that made her quilts stand out.
As Radner's quiltmaking evolved and her use of color and pattern became more intricate and complex, she began to develop a style of her own. She admits that part of her ability to evolve in this particular direction was due to the opening of several quilt shops in the DC area that supplied her with a large variety of contemporary cotton prints. Without access to these shops her style may have gone in an entirely different direction.
Radner worked hard making quilts-almost doing nothing else for years. Her output was more than 20 quilts a year and these were all hand-sewn. She used local quilters to quilt her tops to her specifications.
Quiltmaker's and people who just loved quilts began to recognize her work and seek her out at local shows. Soon she was being asked to teach. She has had a long successful career teaching color and design. And, she continues to learn herself. Always looking for more beautiful hand-painted fabrics and new topics to inspire her, Radner's work is still evolving.
With the advancement of quilting by machine in the past few years, Radner now quilts most of her work herself. She sells select pieces through the Textile Museum gift shop and on my website www.vandm.com/gabrielgibson.
Even the backs of her quilts are fabulous!
I have selected a group of her quilts to sell on my site that highlight her work with batik cottons and hand-painted batik panels. I love how these quilts look with the Asian fabrics popular with interior designers today. Fabrics soften interiors and batiks look great with woods and contemporary furniture and designs.
From www.lonnymag.com
The above bedroom would be even more perfect with one of Radner's quilts.
From www.lonnymag.com
Another great modern interior that would be a nice setting for a quilt made by Radner.
Radner's use of color and the exquisite way she puts colors together make her quilts very popular with collectors. Her work can be seen in the homes of prominent residents in the DC area.
For more information about her or her quilts please check out my website or call me at 301-339-4919.
No comments:
Post a Comment