Entry Number: 65
Quilt Maker: Corey J. Ralph
Quilted By: Quilted by Machine (Longarm) that is Hand-Guided:
Corey Ralph - Sew Manly Quilting
Techniques: Pieced, Appliqué by Machine, Appliqué by Hand, Thread Painted, Hand Dyed,
Design Source: Original Design
Artist Statement
John Francis Ralph Jr. is a fisher, son, husband, brother and someone I am very proud to call my Papa. Papa is the third generation Ralph to fish the frigid North Atlantic, out of our tiny village of Bellevue, NL. This work celebrates his life's work on the sea- the struggles he endured and the challenges he faced to ensure he provided for his small family. As we celebrate your retirement, know we are very proud of you, Papa!
The motifs used are abstract representations of the species he fished over the years, including cod, capelin, herring, mackerel, squid and crab. Additionally, the morning sunrises we all loved to watch from his boat, the mariner's compass and seagulls that serenaded him each morning are represented in the work.
Based on Ricky Tims' Rhapsody technique, this piece uses hand-dyed Ricky Tims fabrics that were purchased while attending a Quilt Retreat in La Veta, CO in April 2018. I was the 2016 Ponnie Brinkman scholarship recipient and was lucky enough to attend this inspirational week with Ricky in Colorado.
This labour of love has taken nearly ten months to complete; 65 hours to design and complete the top, 40 hours to complete the double blanket stitching and, 16.5 hours to complete the hand-guided longarm quilting and 10 hours to compete the 3200 Swarovski crystals, binding, sleeve and label.