Susanne Staton creates all her Wearable Art vests using one pattern, altered to fit, that has become her “canvas.” Each class, book, and color technique inspiration has found its way into a variation of this pattern. Initially using piecing techniques, she now works mostly doing hand appliqué. Her work is not limited to fabric; she also makes vests using felting techniques. Although she has a felting machine, she prefers nuno felting on wool pre-felt.
Susanne enjoys the entire creative process and hand-dyes most of the fabrics she uses. She also creates the buttons for her garments using polymer clay, hand painting wood or fusing glass to match the theme of each piece. Garment construction techniques are varied and include: hand-dyeing, bleaching and over-dyeing, shibori, silk-steaming, nuno felting, appliqué, broderie perse, piecing, crazy patch, beading, embroidery, needle-lace, and free-motion quilting.
Susanne’s quilts are often original designs. Again, she uses a variety of techniques, including: hand-dyeing, painting with inks, broderie perse, embroidery, beading, and 3-dimensional elements. Sometimes using free motion quilting to finish her quilts but most often her quilts are hand-quilted. Susanne is a member of the Fidalgo Island Quilters and the DIVAS, a Wearable Arts group in Anacortes,Washington.
Above, left: Leaves, a vest by Susanne Staton. Above, right: Pear Cubism, a quilt by Susanne Staton.
