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Friday, December 31, 2010

"I Descended From Women Who..."

UP DATE: This quilt is going into a show at the Lawler House Gallery in Suisun, CA on Sunday, January 30 called, "Text, Texture and the Tantalizing Egg."

In October our on-line quilt group: Quilts Around The World were to make a small quilt 8" X 11" of a Self Portrait. I had at first thought I'd do my face in a Picasso fashion, and then the more I thought about it I realized my thoughts kept going back to the ancestral women in my life from whom I descended and the realization that they were all artists of one sort or another. I decided I wanted to make a quilt that honored them and show how I became who I am today because of them.

I took some old photographs of my maternal grandmother, Ella, and my paternal grandmother (seated) Golda and my aunts (dad's sisters in this photo:Rae, Ester, Molly, Freda); my mother Estelle and her sisters, Jane and Miriam, all of whom are wearing clothing they made themselves;
and finallymy self and my grand daughter. And note that in this photo my grand daughter is drawing a picture. She at age six also takes an after school class called Textile and Fashion Design where she is learning to sew.
You can click on the photos to enlarge them if you like. I transferred the photos to white silk and sewed them to a piece of white linen. I added some bits of lace and white buttons and beads. And then in black thread I outlined the photos as a way of quilting them. I then wrote in free motion style around the border of the quilt these words:
"I am descended from women who sewed and knit, drew painted photographed.
I pass on the you in me to my grand children with love.
Thank you grandmothers, mother and aunts."
I showed it to my six year old grand daughter and explained it to her, introducing her to her great great great grandmothers, great great great aunts, great great aunts and great great grandmother. I explained the art they all did. Sharing how I felt we do what we do today because of them. And she got it!
That is my self portrait!






6 comments:

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

It's a lovely meaningful Quilt Lynn. What amazing ancestors.

Chris Daly said...

I absolutely adore this piece Lynn. What a beautiful tribute to the past and the future.

LOVE STITCHING RED said...

Happy new year to you Lynn
Carolyn x

Unknown said...

I absolutly LOVE this! What an incredible self portrait. Wow!

Katie said...

I love how you used ancestors to compile a self portrait. You have so many lovely things, and this quilt group sounds great!

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

Hi Lynn,
I love your old family photo's, their clothes are wonderful.
You have made a very treasured quilt.x