Artist Profile: Kristin LaFlamme

Kristin La Flamme

Portland, Oregon

IG: @kristinlaflamme

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table? Precarious piles of fabric and papers.

2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you? It might be surprising to find that I was an athlete in High School.

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table? A carpeted path curving between my serger sewing machine and the embroidery module for my sewing machine (both stashed on the floor when not in use).

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life? Winning Best of Show at Art Quilt Elements in 2013 with my cat quilt!

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio? True confession: I do not.

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you? ‘Murica, a large flag quilt created out of tessellated pistol shapes stands to me out because of it’s size and bold message.

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work? I have an affinity for scraps and scrappy looking quilts!

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? I like to mix machine and hand stitching to create literal texture. Repetitive shapes or fabrics create interest.

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work? A house shape, with or without roots, often works it’s way into my quilts. Otherwise a fearless mix of disparate fabrics is usually my calling card.

10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight? I was inspired by radial symmetry in traditional quilt blocks and finding a way to reflect that (and it’s inherent reflection) in the scrappy medallion style with which I’m currently enamored.