This piece is about Grief and about Growth. It began with learning, exploring, and trying it out Gander Style. I was haphazard about it, more interested in trying a new tool than in what the results might be.
Then, there was time. I practiced skills and grew some more. I settled in and found a groove and created a practice that gave me joy. It was Love.
Then the Norns came calling. I’d only just rediscovered the core of this piece. I primed it, then they cut the thread that bound me to my Sweet Annie. They’d taken me by surprise.
As I wept for the loss of the Gander who’d stolen my heart, I finished, Gander Style, with tears and trying and exploring.
Ganders do so love to Explore.
- Materials: Hand-dyed cotton, cotton-polyester thread.
- Series: NA
- Size: 30 inches x 40 inches (76 cm x 101 cm)
- Completed: 2022
- Current location: Private Collection, NFS
- History: New Zone Gallery, Zone 4 All show, October 2022
My Thoughts on the Work
Queen Bee came to stay in December of 2020. It was a five-year decision, in that it took me five years of research an thought to make the decision to buy. She’s a long arm quilting machine. The core of Grief was my first attempt at sewing anything at all with my new machine.
It took me several evenings of sewing to finish the initial sewing, mainly because I went slowly. I wanted to be careful an to learn. Learn, I did. Then, I set it aside entirely for a couple of years.
In summer 2022, I pulled it out with plans to try further experimentation. This time, it was using thickened dye paste and surface design.
And then, Sweet Annie fell ill. I’d set up to work on the first side of this piece that day. As the shock wore off, I began dyeing. I wept as I worked for the next week. The joy that Sweet Annie gave me is wrapped in the front and loss clings to the back.