Do Stones Feel?

A poetry quilt:

Do Stones Feel?
Do they love their life?
Or does their patience
Drown out everything else?

When I walk on the beach
I gather a few
White ones, dark ones,
The multiple colours
Don't worry, I say, I'll bring you back,
And I do.

Mary Oliver

The quilt has part of a Mary Oliver poem 'Do Stones Feel?' hand-appliqued across it. Its difficult to see in this top image as its incredibly difficult to photograph.
I have made this for friends with a beautifully fresh white home with accents of grey throughout, so subtle quiet poetry and a loose depiction of pebbles in hand-applique felt right.

. The pebble section was done pretty much free-hand with an instinctive approach to placement and shape.
. The word section needed a bit more planning to make sure it would fit on, positioning had to be quite accurate, and so I followed a guide that I applied with a water soluble fabric pen.
. Once the decorative parts were completed, then the quilting could happen, I hand-stitched the quilting lines in diagonal stripes using matching white thread for a subtle effect.

UNDER A COVER OF DARKNESS

Following on from Moonlit my solo exhibition at MAKE Southwest in 2021, I found myself compelled to give the paper moths that had been held in suspended cocoons as part of an installation piece, ‘Like A Moth To The Moon’, the chance to fly!

This wearable piece is about emerging out into the world after the pandemic, but also about inner growth and empowerment (quiet transformation and release from our sometimes self-imposed 'cocoons').
When the coat is worn, the moths in the lining are hidden from all but the wearer. They cause mild discomfort as their papery wings rustle with the movement of the body reminding the wearer of what lies beneath the surface.
Should the wearer desire, the coat can be reversed to expose the hidden moths to the outer world.

Most of the work in this coat is hidden in the lining, but I wanted an external clue as to the story the garment is telling. There are politely anarchic 'stencilled' words hand-stitched on the reserve which quietly shout it's message too. These words were inspired by Anais Nin’s quote:

‘And the day came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom’.

This piece is currently on display at MAKE Southwest as part of their members summer show until October 8th 2022.