Artist Statement: Kelp beds along the Pacific Coast contain a rich tapestry of colors and textures. Giant kelp, a blue and yellow China rockfish, chitons, coralline algae, and tentacles of sea cucumbers are a few of the plants and animals represented in this piece.

Materials & Techniques: Commercial cotton fabrics were hand and machine appliquéd and machine quilted. Tulle was used to add shading. Some of the seaweeds and tentacles were made with heavy free motion stitching on water-soluble stabilizer; the stabilizer was dissolved away and the thread sculpture was then stitched onto the quilt.

Dimensions: 36"W x 40"H

Photographer: Carla Stehr