Une
Forêt Tropicale Magnifique (A Magnificent Rain Forest)
Rita Young Kilstrom
West Linn, Oregon
Rita Young Kilstrom
West Linn, Oregon
While living in Puerto Rico, Rita visited a rain forest and has always remembered that experience with awe. The current world concerns about the vanishing rain forests prompted her to create a small glimpse of them using fabrics, decorative threadwork, beads, and trims. The first view of this fabric rain forest is the sumptuous cloak of gold mesh covered with leaves that are stitched along their veins with metallic, holographic, and rayon threads. Perched atop the forest canopy are a saucy butterfly and a tropical parrot. When the ‘canopy’ cloak is removed, a jumpsuit of earthy dark brown jersey is revealed. It, too, is covered with leaves, and further enhanced with the flora and fauna inhabitants of the rain forest. One shoulder sports a large beetle, balanced on the other shoulder by a hot-pink blossom. Scattered among the many leaves and vines are a larger-than-life tree frog, a purple lizard, and a variety of fantasy flowers enjoying the moist, warm climate. The headpiece is fashioned with vines and leaves, and dripping from it and from it and the sleeves edges are fringes of clear beads, representing the ever-present rains in the forest.
Rita Young Kilstrom
Since that required semester of sewing in the eighth grade, Rita has had the sewing fever! Her focus for many years was clothing, but expanded to include quiltmaking about 18 years ago. Many wonderful mentors have helped her build a large 'vocabulary' of techniques and he has been teaching, writing, and offering quilting and wearable art trunk shows and talks since 1992. She relocated to the Portland, Oregon area 3 years ago, and has been enjoying many new friendships in several quilt and wearables groups. Being invited to participate in the BERNINA Fashion Show is a thrill for her, as well as a large challenge!