Meet Your Rep (PA) Meredith Armstrong

Pennsylvania Co-Representative

It all started with the chicken pox and my mother’s ploy to keep three sick young girls busy. Out came scissors, needles, thread and lots of beautiful colors of felt. I was off to the world of creating with fabrics.

Since then my life in fiber has evolved through many phases: making my own clothes, designing and making one of a kind clothes for others, and of course traditional and then my own slightly left of center quilts and wall hangings. Most recently I have entered the world of the art quilt. I have found my home. 

Having no formal art training I have sought out fiber teachers over the last few years to help flesh out my tool box of techniques and theory. Each has moved me forward. The most life changing was a Surface Design workshop with Leslie Morgan and Claire Benn of Committed to Cloth. WOW. Talk about an aha experience!

My work has always been informed by life, a sense of wonder, thoughts about time, and symbols.  Most recently my pieces are inspired by my movement of MX dyes on the blank fabric canvass. Making work is an organic process of discovery for me.  Starting with a personal idea, working directly with the fabric, I build as I go. I listen to the piece as best I can and try to honor our conversation. I’m often pleasantly surprised by the unexpected outcome. 

In conjunction with my fiber journey I have also been – in what now seems like a former life – a group counselor, a client service manager for a computer company, a ceramicist, a house renovator (I love chain-sawing walls out!), a health care systems consultant and a wife and mother.

Metamorphosis