Strength in numbers - A community quilt

Earlier in the year a friend was diagnosed with Cancer.....

Cancer is one of those things I have experience in - not me personally - but Friends and family - Yes.

I think most of us have been touched by Cancer in some way.

Everyones experience is different but I think one thing is common - Nothing is ever the same.

With this in mind I asked a few friends if they would like to contribute to a quilt.

I wanted people to make a 12 inch block in a star pattern.

  

Word soon spread and I had 25 women able to participate.

I sent out a million emails with links, ideas, resources and patterns.

I had 3 sewing days at my house to help out the beginners - this entailed lots of laughing and mayhem. All good fun.

anyway a few months down the track and all is good with our friend - prognosis is great and she is all clear. 

We had a morning tea today to hand over the Community made quilt.

Made with much love and thought.

Friendship & Stars

Xx Siobhan

*A little note on construction

To tie in all the colourful blocks I framed each square in the light green cotton - this also helped with sizing up everyones blocks to the same 12 inches (everyones 1/4 inch seam is different!which then leads to 11.5 inch to 12.5 inch blocks).I also used the light green for binding.

I then sashed the blocks in a little floral Liberty of london print, to add to the vintage feel I used two different colours of the same liberty print. 

The quilt was long arm quilted in a Baptist fan by Kim Bradley.

Wherever you roam

I find a lot of comfort in Mr Bob Dylan, perhaps its being a child of the 70's or maybe because his words still ring true - For the times they are a-changin.............


This is my "Fabric of Life" art work, I have entered it into the Victorian Cancer Council Art Awards. It was open to entrants who have been touched in some way by Cancer.


The 31st October 2008 I lost my Mum to Breast Cancer. She had been diagnosed January 2002 when I was pregnant with my second child, I still remember trying to book in being induced and my mum juggling her second chemo treatment so she could look after the eldest who was almost two years old at the time......... Life becomes very surreal and odd when loved ones are ill. My mum was pretty unreal and I laugh and cry at my memories of cancer and it's impact on our family and how she took it all in her stride - she was one strong lady.

Fabric Of Life

the finished size is 1m X 1m

I had some favourite fabric scraps that I had been hanging onto and also still had some fabric I had printed with names/dates and my word thesaurus of love/yes/no. When I saw the Cancer Council Art Award and Art work criteria - I jumped at the chance to create something and it was actually a very therapeutic process.

work in progress

Fabric of Life - Unframed

I made it look hectic to try and show how crazy life can get, I left the frayed edges to show it as unfinished and a little bit falling apart, although the middle of the work is still tight and together. It describes to me the process of Cancer and treatment and also how it feels when you are left behind - when some one passes away - the world still spins but some how it's not the same. The elephants represent "never forgetting", hearts are love and flowers...... gosh so many different meanings.

Detail of the centre

I have always intended on doing something and one day I'll make a big quilt out of the clothes that we still have hanging in the closet but for now I'm happy with my Fabric of Life. The kids love it and are very aware of all the little bits and how it all relates to us and our experiences. 


I have no expectations of winning but I'm so glad I took the leap and did it - I'm already thinking of what else I can do I really liked working with fabric as art.......


and back to wise old Mr Bob Dylan

As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin

Xx Siobhan