Elvis Has (not) Left the Building

I've made several small quilts that feature Elvis for my husband. Lee claims he's a "tongue in cheek" fan. However, he's serious enough to have devoted to the King a whole room ... plus a Honda motor scooter and its trailer in which it gets hauled to Michigan and back. I must say he does have fun with Elvis. A year ago he had a three month long Elvis exhibition at the Folklife Museum where the "Festival of Quilts" was just held. I'm afraid to speculate how I'd have to fight for my studio time if Elvis ever left our building.
"Elvis Has (not) Left the Building" - 20"x24" - 1998
The picture in the center is cut from a child's T-shirt that I over-painted. It took well over a year to collect the "doo-dads". It's hand-sewn and hand-quilted.

Exibits:
1998 - Dogwood Arts Quilt Show - Knoxville, TN
awarded 2nd place
- "Scattered Pieces and Gathered Treasures"
Holland Arts Council - Holland, MI
2005 - "70 Candles for Elvis"
Folk Life Museum - Farragut, TN
2006 - "Festival of Quilts"
Folk Life Museum - Farragut, TN

"The King" - 17"x17" - 2004
A friend had given me a woven tapestry piece of Elvis that she had purchased in Nashville. I collaged over it with silk threads, roving, and sequins. Tulle and machine quilting holds it all in place. There's also a touch of pastel work on his face.

Exhibits: 2005 - "70 Candles for Elvis"
Folk Life Museum - Farragut, TN

"His Music Lives" - 23"x26" - 2005
Fabric and sequins are collaged under tulle and machine quilted. Yarns are couched to the surface and edges. Paint and glitter glue are used. The center is a 3-dimensional figurine.

Exhibits: - 2005 - "70 Candles for Elvis"
Folk Life Museum - Farragut, TN
- 2005 - Emporium Gallery - Knoxville, TN
donated to Art & Cultural Alliance
auctioned to raise $ for Knox County School's art programs

"Where's Elvis?" - 55"x50" - 2003
Carrying on the tradition of using old clothes to make quilts, I used T-shirts that Lee discarded to make this throw. He had designed and made several of the shirts which accounts for some images that don't look like the King. It's constructed with the seams exposed on the front to frame each picture and it's machine quilted.

Exhibit: - 2004 "Threads of Time"
Folk Life Museum - Farragut. TN
- 2005 - "70 Candles for Elvis"
Folk Life Museum - Farragut, TN

... and that isn't all. Stay tuned for more ...