The second in a series of quilts, about absence and longing, made during the pandemic.
Materials: Denim quilt top and back, embroidered with old crochet yarn. Denim from Mark Pickles' Sewing Studio in Bath.
Techniques: Embroidery, hand quilting, hand bound.
Double-sided quilt, 99 x 150cm
Made: November 2020 – March 2021
The second in a series of quilts, about absence and longing, started during lockdown in 2020. During the strange time between UK lockdown 1 and 2, I really missed seeing my family. For this second quilt in the series I asked my parents, sister, and her children to send me paper templates of their arms. I used their templates, plus “my arms” and those of my husbands, to embroider these overlapping, entangled hugs. Putting the quilt together, I then hand quilted it, again using more hugs to hold it together – reaching through to hold each other, no matter what.
The paper templates, hanging in a corner of my workroom, resemble the templates of the legendary Fante Asafo Flag makers. Placing my hands on the top of those drawn by my family bring a special kind of magic.
This quilt was shown to friends and family, as part of "Quilts In The Garden", with my Mother-In-Law, Mary, in June 2021.
Quilt featured in
Brief mention and work in progress image (with paper templates): Curated Quilts printed journal, Covid Issue 15, April 2021
Submitted to and exhibited at Festival of Quilts 2021, international judged competition, July 2021
Submitted and selected for Bath Open Art Prize exhibition, October 2021
Submitted to Quilt Con 2022, rejected. #QuiltConReject
The quilt was the first exhibit seen on entering the Bath Open Art Prize 2021 exhibition, part of Fringe Arts Bath (FaB), at 44AD artspace, in the centre of Bath Spa, UK.
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