Hi, I’m Becky. Welcome to my site. Pull up a chair and sit a while.
For the last 15 years, I’ve been immersed in fabric creations of all sorts. For half a dozen of those years, a group of 10 friends and I constructed homespun sleeping bag quilts for homeless veterans on my living room floor every Friday. With sewing machines, tape measures, yarn, needles, neckties, and bags and bags of donated fabric strewn throughout, our home looked like a quilt factory 24/7.
After producing over 300 quilts stuffed with toiletries, tee-shirts, hats, gloves, and even size 15 tennis shoes in one case, we moved on to sewing dresses for girls in third world countries who, prior to receiving our dresses, had never owned a single new item of clothing since food, shelter and male siblings always took precedence. Can you imagine that? Never having something new to call your own? Photos sent home to us that showed the joyous looks on the girls’ faces when they were handed one of our dresses were absolutely priceless.
With eight years of sewing dresses behind me, I’ve moved on to a new use of fabric that has captured both my heart and imagination: fabric collage. I hope it captures yours as well.
Each piece you see on these pages was created with very sharp scissors, specially selected fabric, oodles of concentration, and a whole lot of love.
I’m also truly excited to share that my Big Blue Wave collage recently won two awards at a Chicagoland art show: the People’s Choice award and an award from the folks coordinating the show.
Exciting developments abound!
“Art is …
“…never finished, only abandoned.” Leonardo Da Vinci
“…to console those who are broken by life.” Vincent Van Gogh
“…what you can get away with.” Andy Warhol
“…not what you see, but what you make others see.” Edgar Degas
“…pouring your heart onto a canvas with immeasurable hope.” Becky Ejupi
My "Big Blue Wave" collage recently won the People's Choice and Team award at a Chicagoland juried art show!
It was such an honor to gift one of my collages to Illinois Lieutenant Governor, Juliana Stratton at the 2024 LCDW gala.
Hey, Mikey! I think she likes it!
I love this fruit tree triptych growing on our living room wall.
The sisters have found themselves a happy, new home! I love seeing photos of where my art has been displayed since I leave a little part of me in every piece I create.
Immortalizing a precious pet in fabric form.
"Mom, why are you making me 'sit like a good girl' next to these fake flowers?"
Students create Christmas treasures in a holiday class.
Here's beautiful Mary with the Short Family Crest.
My sister stopped by as I was taking photos for this page. "Hey," I said, "Can you stand here and hold this collage against the vines in a way that highlights it but hides you?" This was her solution.
Our little Havanese, Tia
Basking in the sun on an early fall afternoon
That Damn Cat being born
A student's first crack at fabric collage. I love it!
Two tough chicks out to make the world a better place. On the right - Mary Edly-Allen, IL District 51 State Senator , a wonderful soul who never fails to make me laugh, and a true shero! (Also? Why are my eyes always closed in photos these days?)
At the framer - choices, choices...
Four students' interpretations of the same slice of watermelon. It's fascinating how uniquely our minds think!
Naked art before the framing.
Q: How much fabric does it take to complete one art piece? A: See above. This fabric joined forces to become the Clementine Tree.
A sampling of students' pumpkins. Each one a unique celebration of autumn.
That Damn Cat finds a loving owner!
