Scraps
Pieced
Assembled
Basted
Quilted
Completed
Without access to studio space, materials and equipment, quarantine re-ignited a life long passion. At home for months on end, my thoughts are forced to home and for me, quilts signify home – they wrap us up in a blanket of warmth, of love, they provide security. They are made with love, in very stitch I think of the recipient, they are a labour of love and are received in that vane. Quilts carry memories – traditionally the scraps of fabric used have been re-purposed, they hold their own stories. Quilts create memories – of the person that made it and of the cuddles, picnics and stages of our lives in which we use them – ever present in photographs, in the background of people’s lives. I have made quilts for children in hospices, something to provide warmth and comfort for the children and their families. I made quilts for my children before they were born – they are worn and tattered, they take me back to that time, they are signifiers of love for my now grown up children.
The quilt I have been working on during quarantine is for my son’s girlfriend – an extension of warmth, a welcome to our family during these particularly challenging times, an indication of how I feel about her. The quilt is reminiscent of a Gees Bend quilt – it is scrappy, once pieced together in blocks, I cut it and add to it, the scrappier it looks, the happier I am. I didn’t use pre-loved fabrics, I ordered them online and hated them when they arrived, but as I cut stitched and assembled the quilt, it became one of my favourites – not the usual safe colours I usually go for, but a vibrancy of colour and pattern.
Quilts are logical, they are made from blocks pieced together, they are geometric, ordered, they suit my mind, my process and yet I long to break free from their confines. Going forward I plan to push the boundaries of quilt making, to build on the traditions of quilt making, but to re-present them, and their meaning, using alternative materials.