Plant Pounding Quilt Art by Bonnie Lucas

Plant & Flower Pounding Art Quilts

Asheville quilting artist Bonnie Lucas’s new article ‘Plant Pounding with a Twist’ showcases both her teaching expertise and her wonderful artwork.

Bonnie’s article on plant pounding that was published in the May issue of “American Quilter”. “American Quilter” is the premier magazine for quilting and fiber arts in the US.

Here at Mountain Made, we pride ourselves on sharing with you some of the most unique art in Western North Carolina.  As a result we are happy to present a short video on Bonnie’s work.

What is Plant or Flower Pounding Art?

When people come to the gallery, they often ask us how does Bonnie “paint” the leaves and flowers on her quilts so true to life.

We love to see the look on their faces when we tell them that all the plant images and colors were “pounded” out using a hammer!

So how is flower or plant pounding really done? Bonnie explains it best in an except from her article,

“Many of you may remember a technique from several years ago called flower or plant pounding. This is the process of infusing the actual pigment from plants into the fibers of the fabric. The basic plant pounding technique is actually a fairly simple one…”

She goes on to say,”

…These poundings make lovely decorative wall hangings or framed flower quilts for unique gifts, especially for the gardener in your life.”

Bonnie tells us that she often forages for suitable plants and flowers along woodland paths and country roads near her home.

She tries to harvest and use plants and flowers that have an adequate amount of moisture yet are at the right growth peak – not underdeveloped, but not too mature, either.

Bonnie’s art quilts are a wonderful “new way to appreciate and persevere nature’s beautiful plants!”