Supraspinatus' Swan Song by Margaret Solomon Gunn won Best Movable Machine Workmanship at AQS QuiltWeek-Daytona Beach 25

Artist Statement: "This quilt is a bit of a departure for me in some ways. As you know, I had shoulder surgery in May of 2022 for a rotator cuff tear that reared its ugly head initially in 2021 sometime. In the 3-4 months leading up to the surgery, I constructed these mandalas, but I wasn't able to hand stitch so they were just glued. Four months after surgery (last Sept), I really needed to get back to quilting but still couldn't do much with my right hand/arm. At the pace I was appliquéing, it'd be 2 months to stitch each mandala. I decided I'd try my hand at machine appliquéing them instead. About 8-9 years ago I took a machine applique class with Sue Nickels (and one before that with Harriet Hargrave), but I always thought the appliqués looked better done by hand so I never did it any other way. This was a desperate time! Between Sept 2022 and March 2023 I finished the quilt top (and waited for my arm to properly heal & strengthen). This spring/summer, I did the quilting. It's bold and different for me, but I love it. This quilt uses lots of bold prints and colors, as well as a mix of the silks here and there.

The Supraspinatus is the tendon I tore. The name is an ode to how this stupid tendon nearly made me quit quilting."

(Photos by Margaret Solomon Gunn from her Facebook Page)