Bernadette Houghton
WoolWorks #11, 2022
Wool swatches of men's suiting from a retired tailor; upholstery remnant. 40" X 40"
The WoolWorks series developed out of a gift of wool swatches for men’s suits from the tailor shop of Sherman Ray, a Holocaust survivor, who settled in Tulsa after the war. The limitations imposed by the color, hand, and design of the fabrics shifted my usual aesthetic from bright florals and Civil War reproduction fabrics to a subdued palette more appropriate to Amish and Mennonite quilts. Learning to adjust my practice was a big part of the challenge of this series.
Bernadette Houghton
WoolWorks #8, 2021
Wool men's suiting swatches gifted from a tailor who retired; swatches of contemporary wool yardage 34" X 38"
The WoolWorks series developed out of a gift of wool swatches for men’s suits from the tailor shop of Sherman Ray, a Holocaust survivor, who settled in Tulsa after the war. The limitations imposed by the color, hand, and design of the fabrics shifted my usual aesthetic from bright florals and Civil War reproduction fabrics to a subdued palette more appropriate to Amish and Mennonite quilts. Learning to adjust my practice was a big part of the challenge of this series.
Bernadette Houghton
WoolWorks #3, 2021
Wool men's suiting swatches gifted from a retired tailor 34" X 34"
The WoolWorks series developed out of a gift of wool swatches for men’s suits from the tailor shop of Sherman Ray, a Holocaust survivor, who settled in Tulsa after the war. The limitations imposed by the color, hand, and design of the fabrics shifted my usual aesthetic from bright florals and Civil War reproduction fabrics to a subdued palette more appropriate to Amish and Mennonite quilts. Learning to adjust my practice was a big part of the challenge of this series.
