Member Spotlight – Barbara Frey

Barbara Frey

Barbara Frey started working with textiles as a teenager, sewing and knitting, then moving on to crocheting and embroidering. She learned quilting while raising a family of three and juggling her nursing career.  She began making art quilts in 1997. Recently Barb’s work has taken a new direction in creating art garments.

Barb says of her current work: I am excited about exploring how a garment makes a person feel.  I am dedicating the next year to the series.  I’m curious where it will go.  Right now I’m working on a self portrait in the form of a dress style I used to make for myself. Here are a few of the questions I asked myself  when I first started this series:
How could a garment transform your imagination just by putting it on?
Would you feel like a different person?
Who would you be in the garment?
Do you feel safe in the garment? warm?
Shape is really important to the series.  Arms stretching out in welcome, a flaring shape, feminine shape, powerful shape, soft, flowing shape, etc.
My influences come from looking at a minister’s robe and stole, from kimonos, traditional costumes, clothing I’ve worn, costumes from cinema.
Will some phrases creep in to the series–like who “wears the pants” in the family?  ”dress for success”?
Will I want 3-dimensional pieces?

You can see Barb Frey’s art quilts on her web site:  http://www.BarbFrey.com

Here are examples of Barb’s current work:

Barb Frey: Robe of Transformation 54" wide x 61" high

Barb Frey: Robe of Welcome 55" wide x 50" high