ERIN WILSON, designer and quiltmaker, lives and works in Brooklyn, creating one-of-a-kind quilts and home accessories. A dancer for 22 years, Erin translates her intuition for movement and musicality into textile art constructed with the traditional techniques of quiltmaking. Her work is available online, at a few special shops in New York City and Boulder, and at high-end craft and design shows including the annual Brooklyn Designs. Erin also does extensive custom sewing work for the interior design industry.

THE PROCESS - Each quilt begins in the dyeing room, where Erin hand-dyes all of her fabrics using fiber-reactive dyes, about 50 buckets, and a well-used washing machine. Using this broad color palette of cottons, the work continues with an often spontaneous design process that happens as the piece is assembled with a constant rhythm of cutting and sewing until forms emerge. A quilt is made of three layers: the decorative top, an inside layer of batting, and a fabric backing, sandwiched together with stitching. Erin assembles her quilts with a sewing machine and adds the final touches by hand. This labor-intensive process cannot be avoided and is one of many pleasures of working with fabric.

BACKGROUND - Erin's education in the textile arts is informal and began early in life, at home in Indiana, with mother as teacher. If sewing was an intense hobby, then dancing was an extreme passion and brought her to The Juilliard School, where she received a BFA in 1998. Upon graduation, Erin worked as a modern dancer and began taking commissions as a quilt artist. She is a member of the Manhattan Quilters Guild. Dance continues to be an important part of life and Erin performs regularly with David Neumann/advanced beginner group (www.advancedbeginnergroup.org).