Lotus Lantern.

 

I made this lantern from a kit, in a Zoom workshop sponsored by our local public library.  The Korean-American activity leader shared a bit about the symbolism of the lotus. Among other attributes, the flower is a symbol of rebirth, which seems appropriate as we enter a new year in our Western calendar.

 

Thanks to everyone who visited my blog this year, and best wishes for 2022! - Ellen

 

Jolly Holly Quilt for Christmas

Holly Quilt, Fran Soika, 1979.

To everyone who celebrates Christmas, a safe and happy holiday!

 

The quilt above was published in the 1982 Quilt Engagement Calendar, and was made by the reverse applique method.  The design is cut in the light green top layer, revealing the dark green layer beneath, and all edges neatly folded over and stitched down. The holly berries are individually stuffed, and the piece has overall contour hand-quilting. Exquisite!

Made to be used on a bed - the blank area would be under the pillow shams, I believe.

Salley Mavor - "My Bed" book and exhibit

Russian child sleeping next to a traditional thick-walled clay stove, in a country home.

 

The New England Quilt Museum is hosting an exhibit of book illustrations by Salley Mavor; her third show at the museum.  The book, My Bed: Enchanting Ways to Fall Asleep Around the World, features of children's sleeping arrangements from all over the world.  Going to bed is something every human does. As always, the hand-stitched and embellished scenarios are delightful. Why hasn't this artist won a Caldecott award yet?!

 

More of Salley's work can be viewed at her website.

 

Detail of endpaper; note that the background is pieced from Salley's preferred wool felt.

Goodbye to Nip Bottles

In Memoriam Nip-orium wreath.

No, this post isn't about textiles, but celebrates my city deciding to ban the sale of "nip" bottles, those 50ml or 100ml plastic containers of alcohol commonly known as nips. As neighboring towns were, until recently, "dry," those folks came over the border to Newton to buy their booze.  

 

Nip litter is a real problem during community clean-ups of parks and conservation land, when volunteers find dozens of these non-biodegradable things, which cannot be recycled using the city's current system.  So, I helped spear-head a drive to convince the alcohol licensing commission to ban the sale of nips. For once, success! 

 

The wreath, since ancient times, has been a symbol of victory, so I decided to make a celebratory wreath. No problem finding the raw materials - nips are everywhere.

Dry fit of nip bottles and caps.

I used a corrugated cardboard "donut" as the base - outside dimension is 13", inside hole is 4".  First, I painted the base with some leftover red paint. Also punched a hole for hanging.

Painted cardboard "donut."

To aid in even radial placement, I first used my trusty glue gun to attach bottles at the "compass" points.  Next, I infilled each quadrant, and, lastly, glued the small nip caps along the outer edge.

Bottles at four "compass" points.

Add bottles evenly spaced between compass points.

The completed wreath was placed in a kiosk on a converted rail trail pathway, from which most of the bottles were recovered, with an explanatory note. (The title "In Memoriam Nip-orium" was suggested by a clever member of our local area council.) If only the Commonwealth of Massachusetts would ban these, or add them to our bottle deposit system.

Laura Petrovich-Cheney - Wood Quilts at the New England Quilt Museum

Homesick, 2020, detail.

 

We recently visited the New England Quilt Museum to see this exhibit, Wood Quilts, by Laura Petrovich-Cheney. I had previously seen a small selection of her salvaged wood sculptures, with designs inspired by patchwork quilts, at the Fuller Craft Museum.  It was great to see even more of her work, which is on view through December 31, 2021.

 

Homesick, 2020.

 

Gallery overview.

 

Ms. Petrovich-Cheney uses shop tools - band saws, sanders, etc. - to cut the salvaged wood into her desired shapes. She doesn't paint the pieces; the colors are as found.  A video of her process is here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8ptQAvhLUs

 

Roll with the Changes, 2021.

  From the wall text:

Creating abstract patterns is my way of dealing with life's ambiguities and uncertainties.  After Hurricane Sandy, when that storm destroyed my childhood home, I realized how quickly home and community could be destroyed and forever changed.  After the devastation, I collected the wooden debris that was scattered throughout the remains of the broken communities.  My takeaway from the storm left me more compassionate, empathetic and acutely aware of how life altering an unexpected event can be.

Heart Centered, 2021

Heart Centered, detail.

 

Wall text, cont'd:

Dresser drawers, kitchen cabinets, cedar siding, doors - anything made of wood is now my raw material.  I believe that material has memory.  I never paint or repair what I find - the faded colors, scratches, nail holes mark the passage of time and are vital remainders of a once-lived life.  Working with discarded materials invites exploration of ideas universal to the human experience: nostalgia, second chances, renewal, memory, and the beauty of imperfection.

All Directions Point That Way, 2021.

The traditional quilt patterns referenced in the wood sculptures include Blazing Star, above, and Postage Stamp (many, many tiny pieces) below. In the piece below, an early work, Ms. Petrovich-Cheney utilized wood from damaged structures, found after Hurricane Sandy, and purpose-painted new birch wood squares.

 

Onezie, 2015.

Onezie, detail. All squares are 1" in size.

Center Stage, 2015.

Around it Goes, 2018.

Plaid, 2018.

Some of the designs, such as the one above, are inspired by woven textile designers, including Anni Albers, Lenore Tawney and Julia Bland. 

 

Plaid, detail.

Crazy Quilt, 2021.

 

Other influences which Petrovich-Cheney acknowledges include Indian textile artisans, including Premaben Versinh Dangera, a rural villager who makes quilts in her own improvisational style.

 

Pathways (Find Your Way), 2019.

 

And lastly, a wood quilt based on an updated kaleidoscope pattern; the skillfully placed colors just vibrate.

The Light in Your Eyes, 2021.