Rain beaded on my windows distorting the world outside them. Zip only came out at the end of the day to see Jon. The sheep and donkeys stayed in the barn all day. Only the the hens seemed to love the warm rain. They wandered the farm, pecking at the saturated ground as if it were spring.
The gray day made my studio cozy, the rain an excuse to stay in and get a good days work in.
And I did get far on My Truth Has Wings.
I began the day by removing the hand stitched appliqué from an old quilt. The green stems and leaves of its flowers were perfect for the flowers that would be growing beneath my wings.
I’d used a part of this quilt as the backing for my Mother Mary fabric painting. Much of the appliqué was worn but there were more squares in good enough condition for me to repurpose.
Once I had the stems and leaves removed, I went on to removing more appliqué from the quilt I’m using as a ground for “My Truth”.
Whenever I’m removing stitches from an old quilt, I think of the person who sewed them. So often the stitches, the threads, hold when the fabric gives out. I am undoing their work. Releasing whatever they put into the quilt.
It is destructive, but also transformative.
I reshaped the flower to create two more. Buds at different stages, growing into the flower in bloom.
I hand sewed the flowers, stems and leaves. I think it gives them a more organic, less formal feeling.
It was dark when I left my studio, but the hens were still out pecking around. I bet I get an egg or two tomorrow.
I think a strip of red on the bottom will complete My Truth.
