Chemical Attractions created by Swan Sheridan
Janette Volz
After a two-year hiatus because of COVID, the SaddleBrooke Friday Quilters could again enjoy the benefits of in-person program speakers. While a large focus of our club is charity-based, we also place an emphasis on enhancing our skills through educational opportunities. Recently, local textile artist Swan Sheridan shared her many quilts created from her own designs with the quilters. Originally from Bend, Ore., Swan has a studio here in Tucson. Growing up, she was not known for her artistic abilities, but that soon changed. As a child, her initial interest was spinning wool, but during grad school, she wanted to make a quilt for her first nephew, and she flew from there! (Swan, her mother, and daughter are named after birds!)
Swan is very practiced in the application of appliqué and free motion quilting. For those of you who are not familiar with these sewing terms, appliqué is ornamental needlework in which pieces of fabric in different shapes and patterns are sewn onto a larger piece to form a picture or pattern. Free motion quilting is a technique where the sewist will move a quilt sandwich under the needle to create a patterned effect. Swan’s quilts look just as beautiful on the back as they do on the front—now, that is skill!
In addition to producing patterns, she regularly exhibits her work in local shows. Swan also offers classes (she plans to open her Tucson studio to the public for classes beginning this fall) in appliqué, color, hand quilting, and decorative stitches. After viewing her many quilts, the SaddleBrooke Friday Quilters came away with a renewed zest for textile creation. To learn more about Swan Sheridan and her quilts, visit her website at www.swanamity.com.