Every Whisper

Well, I'm still having ups and downs health-wise, and I'm quite sick of it all! I'm learning to make the most of the time when I'm feeling well, and my knitting and hand piecing is coming along a lot quicker than normal. Catching up with work from earlier this summer is this piece...

Every Whisper

79cm x 116cm (31" x45")

Quilt

Drawing and monoprint on cotton with freehand machine quilting.

2017

I made the drawing and monoprint probably about two years ago, maybe longer. The subject is Amelie and I worked from a photo of her from when she was newborn. The drawing is worked direct to the cotton using graphite. 

The hedge is monoprinted with fabric paint. I used two of my favourite monoprint methods - reductive (above) and linear (below). I love the haze around the lines of the linear prints. 

I quilted it freehand and the stitching is worked very closely. Colour-wise it's very simple, either white thread or very dark grey. 

The crazy amount of quilting is most obvious on the back. I know it's not tidy, but life is too short to worry about ends.

The portrait is in a cage silhouette which is suspended from one of the thorns. I drew the ribbon with a fine permanent pen. The title is from the lyric, "Every Whisper of Every Waking Hour", a reference to the constant responsibility of being a new parent.

The quilt was exhibited as part of Through Our Hands: Portrait at Festival of Quilts 2017. Now it resides on our landing at home where it looks great!

Thanks for visiting today, and for all your lovely comments on previous posts. I'm very sorry that I've not had time to respond to all of them individually. Please do know that I read and appreciate them all.

Love Laura

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