Persephone Rising 68″ x 82″(2011)

The story most often told about Persephone, is that when she was a young girl, she was out one afternoon picking flowers with some friends. Hades, the God of the Underworld, came and kidnapped her and made her his queen. Demeter, the Goddess of grain and harvest, and Persephone’s mother , was distraught at the loss of her daughter, and travelled the world searching everywhere for her, weeping bitter tears. Because of her sadness, winter came, and continued so long that all the people began to starve.

The people prayed to Zeus and begged him for mercy. Zeus heard their cries and forced Hades to return Persephone to Demeter. And Hades did, but not before Persephone ate some seeds from a pomegranate. Some say that Hades tricked Persephone into eating the fruit. Some say she reached out and plucked it as her mother was leading her out of hell. Because Persephone had eaten six seeds, she was bound to return to the Underworld, spending six months below with Hades and six months above Hence the seasons.

How It Was Made

Original design, fabric application, and thread painting by Marilyn Belford; quilting by Jamie Wallen.

Exhibits

2011 – World Quilt Show – West Palm Beach, FL (Winner’s Circle Tour)
2011 – Pacific International Quilt Festival – Santa Clara, CA (Winner’s Circle Tour)
2011 – Pennsylvania National Quilt Festival – Philadelphia, PA (Winner’s Circle Tour)
2012 – Road to California – Ontario, CA

Awards

2011 – Honorable Mention: World Quilt Competition IX – Manchester, NH
2011 – 3rd Place: Denver National Quilt Festival – Denver, CO

Circe (40" x 60") 2006

In Greek mythology, Circe was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea. In Homer’s Odyssey she invited Odysseus’ crew to a feast, the wine laced with one of her magical potions, and she turned them all into swine with a wand after they gorged themselves on it.

How It Was Made

Commercial cotton fabric was applied with fusible web, and further embellished with thread. No paints were used.

Exhibits

2006 – Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY
2007 – AQS Expo and Contest, Nashville, TN

Awards

2006 – 1st Prize: NYSQC in Syracuse, NY
2007 – 1st Prize: Common Threads Quilt Guild, Binghamton, NY
2007 – 3rd Prize: Quilters Heritage Celebration, Lancaster, PA