"No one combines fabric like you."
Cate Prato, Former Editor at Quilting Arts & Cloth Paper Scissors
"OMG!!!!!!! Just opened my fabric bundles from Lesley Riley....PURE EYE CANDY!"
Patti Mosca, Artist
These are such treasures in this time.
I must start creating now!!!
Alyce McDonald
It's difficult to make a decision about the fabric poems...I like all of them!
Jan Chard
These selections are incredibly beautiful. The Poems are always so stunning, but you really outdid yourself with this selection!
Nancy Schultz
New to shopping for Fabric Poems?
Scroll down for helpful info below.
(so sorry, US shipping only!)
I create a few collections of 50+ poems a year and in the meantime, I'll add a new poem now & then, so check back often!
Unusual and specialty fabrics
One-of-a-kind pieces of my hand-printed & snow-dyed fabric
Photos printed on fabric
Project starters
Fabric speaks to me. I speak in fabric
to create a collection of fabric poems.
I am in my 6th decade of collecting fabric, beginning with the first quilt I made in 1971. Back then, quilting cottons were limited and sources for the beautiful natural fibers I have come to know intimately and love deeply were difficult to find.
Coordinating fabric has been a passionate practice since 1999. It's something I cannot resist doing. That's why I share my passion and little fabric poems with you. They are infused with joy and love and created with an artist's eye and sensibility.
Every fabric poem is created from my personal stash. Nothing is off limits. Even my "private stash" - the special favorites - are cut into if it serves the overall creation of the poem. Nothing is spared in the name of art.
The amount of, size of and value of the fabrics in each fabric poem is determined solely by my objective, to create a well-composed, beautiful finished design. Some poems require more words (fabric) than others. The lines (fabric shapes & sizes) in the poem accommodate and enhance the rhythm, the balance, and the shape of the finished poem. The largest fabric piece, the background, can be from 10-14" depending on the pattern and layout of the additional fabrics. Some fabric pieces are folded to create the best composition.
FABRIC POEMS are primarily natural fibers and may include fabric that is hand-dyed, over-dyed or painted, screen printed or stamped; rusted, cyanotype or eco-printed, 100% silk, satin, linen, and cotton. There are commercial fabrics from England, India, Japan and elsewhere, purchased first in person and now also online, from coast to coast in the US, England and Canada.( My favorite in person fabric acquisition was in the Punjabi market in Vancouver, B.C.)
I also offer Project Starters - mini-fabric poems - a piece or group of fabrics and perhaps an image to inspire you to create something wonderful. And don't forget I've got a selection of images printed on TAP for sale that you can transfer directly onto fabric.
My stash includes barkcloth, vintage fabrics, antique fabric from from France, and a large piece I found at a street market in Italy. Occasionally a synthetic may slip in because it is too beautiful to ignore.
Each packet is made with love. I love receiving a beautifully wrapped package tied up with string, but to reduce waste, these fabric packets are packaged, sometimes folded, then shipped to reduce waste and keeping your shipping costs to a minimum.
WARNING: they sell quickly, so if you love it, get it now. Once sold they disappear from the website.
Curious about what you can do with these lovely fabric poems? Take a look at my online Fragment Fabric Collage class.
**Please Read!**
Photos and fabric colors may vary depending on your screen.
Your purchase(s) will always be packaged with care and shipped at the lowest, but safest, USPS shipping rate, depending on the size of your order.
Some fabrics may arrive folded. No worries, just iron it!
Just in case, always protect the transferred images with parchment paper when ironing.
NAVIGATING THE SHOP PAGE
When you click on a Poem on the shop page it will take you to a screen that looks like this. The large image is a close-up view that enables you to mouse around the entire poem and see all the details.
Click on the tiny image in the lower left to see a large full view of the poem. If you want it, click Add to Cart. You can always delete it at checkout.
