Art Quilts by Phyllis
Why I quilt
I have always loved textiles. They are my paints, my watercolors, my oils. I love honoring the texture and design of each fabric and how the same textile can represent different shadings, moods, light, as you harvest its various facets.
The inspiration for each quilt has been as varied as the finished pieces themselves. My love for Romanesque architecture is the inspiration for the Tournus series. My admiration for Mark Rothko was the motivation for a quilt to a dear friend who was moving across the country, and who also loves the color red. Our move to the North Shore has given me the desire to interpret its rocky coast, vast marshes and beautiful waters in fabric.
Whatever the subject or motivation, I have enjoyed the process as much as the finished product. There is always a pang of regret when one quilt is finished, and then I can’t wait to start the next one.
pvfollett@gmail.com
My most recent quilts
This is what democracy looks like, 2026
(13″ W x 13″ L)
My friend Dotty shared with me information about a quilt project launched by a fellow quilter in California. The project is inspired by the AIDS quilt, where quilters from all over the country submitted squares to express their solidarity with those suffering from the disease. Moved by the profound political and civic changes presently taking place in our country, the organizer is seeking to allow fellow quilters channel their connections to the current situation.
The theme of the project is This is what democracy looks like. Dotty and I decided to join forces and creativity in order to submit a square for the project. I was greatly moved by the monks who walked across the country, sharing messages of loving kindness with those along the way. Their colored robes are a quilter’s dream. Their message of we are all different, yet we walk together exemplifies their contribution of compassion to all. Dotty’s white stitches highlight the forward movement of the monks’ journey, led by their dog Aloka.
I had initially thought to do several squares for the project, but after completing the monks, I felt I could do no more.
This is what democracy looks like
Phyllis Follett and Dotty Seiter
Hamilton, MA
—-
Looking for Bonnard, 2026
(19” W x 16”L)
I love Pierre Bonnard’s paintings, especially his joyful use of color, which has served as his “raisonnement”, his inspiration, upon which he superimposes form. His scenes of gardens and water seen through an open window or door left ajar have fascinated me. In 2024, while we were staying in Provence, we went to Le Cannet where he once lived and the site of the Bonnard Museum. The museum had organized through the city a “Sentier Bonnard”, a trail that one could follow to see the scenes that he had painted. It was there that we found ourselves in this unexpected corner of color. The surprising brilliance of the walls framed by non-perpendicular lines, to me, celebrates Bonnard’s harmony of color and form.