Beverly Reifman

MEDIUM: Quiltmaking

STUDIO LOCATION: 302

CONTACT: beverlyreifman@gmail.com

My grandfather was a tailor. I never met him. When I was a young girl my mother showed me a few pieces of clothing that he had designed and sewed for her. I took in the joy on her face and the sensual beauty of the skirt and fur jacket. I knew then that I wanted to do this, too – to be able to create beautiful clothing.

I loved to look at and feel fabrics; the colors and textures delighted me. I started to design and sew my own clothing when I was in high school. My father gave me $50 to buy clothes for college. I bought an old Singer sewing machine for $25 and material for $25 and made skirts, blouses, jackets and dresses. I had so much fun and was amazed at what I produced! This was the beginning of a lifetime of working with fabrics to create art.

When my first grandchild was born, I made my first quilt. I did only hand-quilting for many years but as I made bigger and bigger quilts, I learned to machine-quilt. I still hand-quilt baby quilts and love the meditative experience of each stitch. Some baby quilt designs have required 20,000 hand stitches! My current projects include California King size modern quilts for my children. I am also making aprons of London Wax cotton of African designs and quilted potholders made of beautiful colorful fabrics.