Christine Fries-Ureel (Barre, Vermont)

Christine est née en Belgique. Ses « art quilts » accentuent couleur, « thread-painting » et un sens du merveilleux. En 1998, sa vie a changé quand elle a découvert le monde du quilting qui, depuis, est devenu une passion. Ses quilts ont gagné des prix nationaux et internationaux, et ont été publiés dans des journaux, magazines et des calendriers. Elle dit : « Le quilting, c’est plus que le bonheur. C’est l’extase »

« J’ai essayé de recréer la beauté de ces peintures dans mes quilts de façon à partager mes créations avec ceux qui n’ont jamais eu l’opportunité d’admirer des œuvres d’art ».

Les inspirations de Christine

« J’ai mis mon cœur et mon âme dans la création de mes « quilts » ou « patchwork ». Je crois qu’il y a toujours quelque chose de magnifique dans tout ce que je vois. Je crois au grand amour, et j’espère que mes « quilts » vous donneront la foi de croire en vous et à autrui ».

Ces œuvres d’art ont été inspirées par des peintures qu’elle a admiré en Europe. « J’ai essayé de recréer la beauté de ces peintures dans mes « quilts » de façon à partager mes créations avec ceux qui n’ont jamais eu l’opportunité d’admirer des œuvres d’art ».

Christine's Quilting Style

Though she loves all quilting styles, from such traditional ones as log cabin and crazy quilts to the various innovative abstract styles, Christine's greatest fulfillment has come from creating pictorial art quilts. "In learning to quilt, I was exposed to and tried different styles and techniques. Pictorial art quilts are the ones I am most passionate about at present. They allow me to combine things I love in one artistic expression: planning and drawing adaptations of beautiful scenes, being challenged with the technical details of how best to represent them as quilts, deciding on colors, handling and selecting beautiful fabrics and threads, and the other things that go into making a quilt. Pictorial art quilts allow me to combine my love of fine art with my love of quilting, in a single artistic endeavor."

Technique

Christine uses mostly a machine-appliqué technique in her pictorial art quilts. She prefers to leave no raw edges. She uses a muslin foundation to appliqué all the pieces onto, machine-appliquéing by free motion. "I work one quilt at a time. I love the process. I love touching fabric, looking at threads and yarns, and digging in boxes full of spools of thread and beads. There are always parts of making a quilt that are more difficult, but they are well worth the effort. I love thread painting to enhance shading and add dimension and texture."

« I said to my husband one evening, 'Le quilting, c'est plus que le bonheur — c'est l'extase!' (Quilting is more than happiness — it's ecstasy). ».

About Christine

Christine Fries-Ureel was born and grew up in Belgium. A Registered Nurse with a specialty in Pediatrics, she worked on the Pedi Service of a hospital in Belgium before leaving the nursing profession when she married her American husband and came to the U.S. in 1982. They started a family which grew to include six children, all boys. They live in Vermont.

Though the demands of being a wife and mother put some of her aspirations on hold, Christine never lost a dream of becoming involved in the world of art.

In 1998 she visited the Vermont Quilt Festival, and seeing such beautiful quilts for the first time changed her life forever. She decided she had to learn quilting!

She knew little about sewing and nothing about quilting. She started to read books and take beginner's quilting classes. Quilting became a passion.

Christine's Inspiration

Christine's inspiration comes from feelings within. "I put my heart and soul into my quilts. I believe in something good in everything I see. I believe in true love, and I hope my quilts reinforce this belief in others." Her art quilts have been inspired by beautiful paintings she saw in Europe. "I try to adapt the beauty of great artwork to the quilting medium, and so share it with those who may perhaps never have seen it."

A few of the many things quilting has taught me

• Christine feels that her sons (20, 19, 17, 16, 15, and 9) and husband all help in their way to inspire and support her quiltmaking.
• "I feel lucky to have been able to stay home and devote myself to my children, and to have the opportunity to pursue the quilting and fiber arts which I love while still being able to spend time with my family! Being able to do something you love is a gift!"
• "I cannot imagine life without quilting."
• "I am so amazed to be able to share deep feelings with others, through my quilts. I especially like the feeling of 'communication through the soul.'"
• "Each fiber artist develops an individual style to express something unique in fabric and thread, creating art by means of personal ideas about the use of color, texture, and design. We then become part of 'the Big Design' (life itself), sharing beauty and deep feelings to help one another find our destinies, leading always toward true love ..."
• "Part of my joy and fulfillment in quilting comes from being able to communicate, through my quilts, feelings which are hard to convey through words: dreams and true love. I also wish through my quilts to communicate encouragement : The beauty and strength of love do exist! Don't start to doubt it! Try to realize your dreams, and don't be afraid — you never know until you try!"
• "I have seen quilts which inspire me and communicate feelings of strength and peace. Quilts have special power to give to others."
• "How to be sure of making a beautiful quilt? If you make a quilt with love, it will be beautiful."
• "If you don't find the words to say something — to express a feeling — then make a quilt. It will say it for you."
• "Quilting has taught me that self-esteem comes from believing in your dream, and trying to make it come true."
• "I said to my husband one evening, 'Le quilting, c'est plus que le bonheur — c'est l'extase!' (Quilting is more than happiness — it's ecstasy)."