Last year, I made this two sided quilt and gained its entry into two well loved magazines, International Quilt Festival Quilt Scene 2017 and Fons and Porters, Modern Patchwork, both magazines are owned by F+W media. The front, pictured above, was completely handprinted using Melly Marks stamps and thermofax screens.
The back of the quilt, is half handprints, half commercial prints. The hand printed aspect of this quilt is what made their entry into these magazines so exciting for me. While I understand folks might be hesitant to print the fabrics used in their quilts, both magazine articles highlighted the handprinted aspect by talking about color value, varying use of texture and motif size. And both magazines showed off the quilt beautifully. Neither showed the back, as I had hoped to discuss this in a future magazine article.
Placing this quilt in a magazine is a huge deal for me as I so often feel like an outlier in the more traditional quilt community. With this quilt in particular, I felt honored to be embraced and showcased as a quilt maker, despite my penchant for working from the ground up, designing the tools to print, mixing the dyes, printing the yardage, piecing, quilting and then getting the work seen.
Unfortunately, when the quilt was shipped back to me, it was left on my stoop, by the shipper, and was stolen off my doorstep. I live in New York City. My doorstep opens out onto the street and there is nowhere to discreetly hide a package.
I contacted the magazine and we discussed my quilts value in addition to the companies shipping policies. As restitution for the loss of the quilt and to honor our longstanding working relationship, they paid me a fee for the quilt, though not its retail value, for which I am still grateful. They also changed their shipping policy to require signature for every shipped item. I am glad they made this change.
I am deeply sorry to have lost this quilt. I am sorry this event overshadowed my ability to support and highlight this quilts foray into print media. I wish I still owned it. I honestly hope it is being used and loved.
Melanie Testa 
Melanie, I’m so sorry, what a terrible loss. I’ve had things dropped here on our front step and I don’t like it but we are small town and pretty safe.
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Oh, No!!! I am so sorry. I know how much work went into this quilt and the emotional attachment you had to have to this unique beauty. I only hope who ever has it, appreciates and needs it. Karma will strike one day and they will wonder why.
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Oh, this is so sad. I am so sorry this happened to you.
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I am wildly crushed and saddened. This is horrible.
I’m so very sorry, Melly.
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I am so very sorry for your loss. I know how heart-wrenching this must be, been there. I put the word out online to my friends in NYC and I am hoping that it makes it’s way back home to you. If it doesn’t I hope that it ends up in the hands of someone who really needed it so it can continue blessing people. I know in my heart that karma will catch up with whoever took it, I can only hope that it all ends well. Big love and brightest blessings.
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So sorry to hear. It’s always a relief when an artwork comes home safe and sound. Because you put so much heart into it, maybe that will give it the positive energy to end up with a worthy person after whoever took it sells it or gives it away. I hope that someday you either get it back or find out something wonderful about it.
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