Originally exhibited at P Design Gallery, Denver CO, March — May 2007
An exhibit in Denver, Colorado presented the perfect opportunity for Denyse to explore her conceptions—and misconceptions—of the American West. Many hours watching old Clint Eastwood westerns served as the major part of her research. At the time, Denver was blanketed with (and paralyzed by) several feet of snow, which determined for Denyse that each quilt would feature white on white backgrounds. Denyse began her exploration of the selvedge edge as design feature with this series.
Denyse sketched several compositional directions and then composed the sketches actual size by pinning pieces of fabric on her studio wall. Once the design is finalized, the next step is to stitch the top together as visualized, which is like assembling a puzzle.
Denyse wrote of her preparation for the exhibit:
"I have one day a week alone in the studio, so I lay out each quilt on my studio wall, and then sew for a few hours each afternoon until I get each top sewn together. I am using vintage woolens I picked up from a great old store in Bridgeport, CT that closed last year. I also incorporated some vintage odds and ends such as a small piece of embroidered silk, and a cross-stitched holiday quest towel, that I had been hoarding for years. It felt good to let go of things that were waiting for the "perfect" project. The horse fabric is a curtain I found at a yard sale, and I always thought I would make a skirt out of it – I’m glad it found a home in this quilt instead."