Quilts By Marisela

A student in one of the first screen printing classes we taught a few years ago was a quilting teacher named Marisela Rumberg of Quilts By Marisela.  She teaches free motion machine quilting "brain training" at various venues in the the Northern Virginia area and recently became part of the Studio Fiber Arts group at the Workhouse Arts Center.  In addition, her quilts have been exhibited around the world.  Last night Sue had the pleasure of hearing her presentation "Legends, Traditions and Quilts" at her local guild meeting.  A native of Mexico, Marisela talked about Mayan and Aztec legends and how she has incorporated the inspiring stories of her country's heritage in her quilts.

With her permission to share, I took a few pictures of the quilts she brought to display.

In her presentation, she explained the significance of the "Day of the Dead" celebration in Mexican culture, which corresponds to All Saints Day in Christian traditions.  It is a day of happiness in honor of those who have passed.

The quilt above represents a saying that " a bird in hand is worth a hundred flying", similar to "a bird in hand is worth 2 in the bush".  There are a 100 birds in the quilt, some applique, many quilted into the background, and others in the form of buttons.  Click on the picture for a closer look at her beautiful quilting.

The cardinal quilt is a representation of a visitor that frequented a tree outside her window.

Another example of her work is this quilt which represents the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Below is a close-up of the roses and a better look at her free-motion work.  

Marisela does all her free motion work on a domestic machine without marking.  She teaches at several venues in Northern Virginia as well as offering private and semi-private sessions for a group of 3.  Her workshops and lectures are also available in Spanish.  Check out her website and Facebook page for more info and pictures of her work.  She is an excellent, enthusiastic presenter and teacher!