Maryte Collard – Decay #2
Rusted Garden
Now I have a fascination about how fabrics disintegrate and decay. My second quilt is all about rust and its surprisingly dramatic effect on textiles.
A few years ago, I found myself at a blacksmith’s shop, surrounded by piles of rusty iron. It was the perfect playground for a rust-dyeing experiment. I left with a treasure trove of rust-stained fabrics and started turning them into quilts.
Rust is basically metal’s way of giving in to oxygen—it oxidizes, leaving behind stains that cling stubbornly to fabric. But beyond just staining, rust actually eats away at the material, making it fragile and prone to falling apart. Sewing with rust-dyed fabric is its own adventure—tiny metal particles get lodged in the fibers, breaking needles, especially if I try to machine quilt. That’s why I stitched Rusted Garden entirely by hand.
For the background, I chose a soft blue linen, and for the flowers, I repurposed cotton fabrics I had previously dyed with Procion MX and later rusted. The rusty stains take on a life of their own, becoming suns, clouds, and leaves. Flowers are hand appliqued.
I think this might be the ugliest quilt I’ve ever made. But I can’t make excuses—I deliberately chose to use decay itself, rather than just depict it. And somehow, that makes it beautifully authentic.
FIFTEEN BY FIFTEEN 
I think that is the background fabric is interesting : I mean the fact that you used a blue fabric then rust dyed it ! your quilt is not ugly but rust dyeing being so impredictable it has a kind of naïve look that I like !
I really really like your piece and its “primitive” vibes.
Have you heard of the Japanese aesthetic concept of wabi-sabi?
Instead of focusing on traditional ideas of beauty, wabi-sabi celebrates imperfections, asymmetry, and the passage of time – which I think really resonates with your work.
It’s not about being “ugly” but rather about expressing the natural cycle of growth and decay.
PS: I know all too well what you mean about needles breaking when using rusty fabric!
How bold to work the piece with ‘rusty’ fabric knowing the needle problem only too well! This really is decay and you have interpreted it really well, your work is not ugly and I agree with Chantal about the naïve look about it. great stitching!
I really like creating rust and using fabrics that have undergone the rusting process. And there is nothing to add to your perfect stitching. Well done.
I like how you used the rusty prints into the composition. So nice you used varigated yarn for quilting the background.
Far from ugly, this is a beautiful way of depicting the hazards of rust. It’s color and destruction are exciting to examine.
ANN
What a sweet way to depict decay. From rust which deteriorates to flowers representing new beginnings and growth. Beautiful hand stitching, well done!
Interesting choice for the series.
I like the native look of your quilt. Rusting is indeed a beautiful way to show the decay. Love your handstitching.
This is the quintessence of decay, using a rusted background fabric and using the rusted stains as focus of the quilt. Wonderful handstitching.
This is a great piece. I love the old fabric and the decaying through with the rust. The hand quilting adds so much to the feel of the quilt. Beautiful work!
I definitely don’t think that it’s an ugly quilt, but instead is an ingenious use of rust dyed fabrics. As you say, these are difficult. to stitch bit they do produce such lovely effects. Well done
Using rust dyed fabric is a great idea and the way you have developed the markings is beautiful. The addition of the three flowers alters a series of brown stains into a delightful picture.
Would never call it ugly, all I see is the beauty of decay!