“Our House”

 

 

“Our House”
Copyright Susan Brubaker Knapp 2025
17” x 25”

White fabric, acrylic textile paint, interfacing, cotton batting, cotton backing. Painted, stenciled, free-motion machine quilted. 

These words are from the song “Our House” on Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s 1970 album, Déjà Vu.

… I'll light the fire
You place the flowers in the vase
That you bought today

 

… Staring at the fire
For hours and hours while I listen to you
Play your love songs all night long for me
Only for me

 

… Come to me now (come to me now)
And rest your head for just five minutes
Everything is done
Such a cozy room (such a cozy room)
The windows are illuminated
By the evening sunshine through them
Fiery gems for you, only for you

 

… Our house is a very, very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy 'cause of you
And our

 

… La-la, la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la, la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la

 

… Our house is a very, very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy 'cause of you 
And our

 

… I'll light the fire
While you place the flowers in the vase
That you bought today

“Kintsugi”

“Kintsugi”
(Copyright Susan Brubaker Knapp 2025) 16.25” x 21.5” 

 

Just finished this piece, “Kintsugi,” last night. 

Kintsugi (金継ぎ), or kintsukuroi (金繕い), is a Japanese method of repairing cracks or broken pieces of pottery. After the repair, the crack is lacquered, then dusted with powdered gold, silver or platinum. The idea is that the imperfections can also be beautiful, and that cracks are not flaws. 

I pieced “Kintsugi” with cotton fabrics — dyed, painted, marbled and stenciled — and then used cotton thread, perle cotton, sequins, and beads to embellish it. Free-motion machine quilted, hand embroidered. 

 The fabrics in those three appliquéd circles are by Melissa DeLisio. She's on Instagram @lostmymarblesfabric. 

 

“Kintsugi” (detail)

“Kintsugi” (detail)

  

“Kintsugi” (detail)

 

“Kintsugi” (detail)