I met Luke Haynes this week at Etsy Labs for Brett Bara’s Sewing in a Straight Line book signing. While it was immediately obvious that he was a quilter—the expertly appliqued “LUKE” down the front of his shirt gave him away—I really wasn’t prepared for the subjects of his quilts (Obama, 3D hammers, french fries). So, as he was showing me photos of his projects, he casually mentioned that he makes a new self portrait quilt each year, and then actually uses it on his bed. I was deeply impressed (by both the detailed work and the spunk required to do it), and knew that we had to be friends. Making and using a quilt of yourself takes some serious self-confidence and a sense of humor that I can totally get behind!

We’ve shown Lukes art quilting before, but his more recent portrait and 3D illusion work is definitely worth sharing! Did I mention that he makes his quilts by upcycling clothing and other other discarded fabrics?