Costumes & Puppets

After years of toiling away in my studio, working on appliqué portraits and private commissions, I decided to pursue my MFA at the University of Missouri-Columbia. I wanted to push myself creatively and learn new fibers processes and techniques. With an interest in storytelling, I began making a series of costumes and puppets using the free-motion embroidery and quilting skills I already had, while also employing the new skills I was learning. Shibori dyeing, papermaking, and basketry were incorporated into the work, and my long-lost love of puppetry reemerged. Along with my continued use of vibrant colors and funky patterns, the combination of processes resulted in the creation of  G.Raff, Cloak, Stegosaurus, Winston, Bosley, and Coconut. Through creative writing, performance, and short videos, their personalities transformed, and these characters and their stories came to life.