Here are two words you don’t see together very often: urban quilter. But that’s exactly how SF Open Studios artist Amy Ahlstrom describes herself.

One might think of quilting as something that traditionally happens in communal settings, where gossipy circles of old friends produce their work together. Ahlstrom’s process, however, begins in the streets, where she scours the landscape for found images. Taking cues from graffiti artists, abandoned signage, and sticker art in city neighborhoods, Ahlstrom renders digital photos of her finds and then, much like a DJ, remixes hundreds of them into a dense collage on her computer before making paper patterns. The pattern is then cut by hand and painstakingly sewn into silk and cotton quilts, which are finally framed. The results are modern SF-centric pop art rendered in fabric. We suspect your walls will thank you.

// Amy’s work is featured during Weekend # 3 (October 31 and November 1) of SF Open Studios at SOMA Artists Studios, 689 Bryant Street, Room # 18. 

Other neighborhoods hosting SF Open Studios this weekend include the Tenderloin, MIDMA, Downtown, Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, Bayview, Portola, Excelsior, and  Balboa Park.