Resurrection

This is a new piece, “Resurrection,” in progress. I started this piece in early April, and it was the first time I was back in my studio working since my husband Rob had a seizure, and doctors discovered a meningioma, or calcified mass, in his brain. 

He had the seizure at 6:45 a.m. on Feb. 2, just as he was leaving with our 15-year-old daughter to take her to basketball practice at school, and then heading to work. If they had left five minutes earlier, they would have been driving on the interstate when it happened, and things would have been far worse. It was a severe seizure that lasted at least 4-5 minutes, and I thought he was going to die on the floor in our hall, in my arms, before the paramedics could arrive. He was in the hospital for several days, and is now doing well on medications to prevent future seizures and to shrink the swelling around the mass. Surgery is not recommended because of the delicate place where the mass is located, so we are in a holding pattern for now.

Rob

An event like this has a way of changing the way you think about life. I have wanted to do an art quilt based on daffodils for years. This spring, I have taken lots of photos of daffodils. They are my favorite flower, a symbol of rebirth and renewal, a bright yellow ray of sunshine in the snow. 

As my husband and I made our way through his diagnosis, adjusting medications, getting to doctors’ appointments, and lots and lots of driving (for me, since he will not be permitted to drive for at least six months), I became more and more eager to do something creative, and to get back into my studio. After sketching from one of my photos as I flew to the shoot for “Quilting Arts TV” in March, I decided that when I could start a new piece, this would be it. Fitting, especially in light of my husband’s situation. 

This is a different technique for me. It is a collaging method, similar to that used by Bonnie McCaffery, Susan Carlson, and some other art quilters. Except that almost all the pieces, besides those at the flowers’ coronas, are triangles, which gives the piece a faceted appearance. It’s a kind of fabric mosaic. I was striving to create the effect of light coming through the petals, making them glow.

An enlarged copy of the drawing is underneath the base fabric, and then the pieces are tacked down with glue. Wicked (below) is eager to help.

This is a bigger piece than I’ve done in a while; it will probably be about 40x60" when finished. 

The next step is to quilt. I’m not sure yet if I’ll put tulle on top of the piece before quilting. I’m a bit concerned that the pieces will all come loose as I quilt! I’ll post again when I figure out what I’m doing, and have time to work on it.