Endless Life, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt

(Above: Endless Life, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. 38" x 33". Crayon on silk rubbings on repurposed painter's drop cloth. Hand and free motion machine embroidery.)

I made three of the rubbings (the folk art angels/skull) for Endless Life while in Lydford, England. The markers were from the late 18th century. Two of the other angels date from the same time period but were in Maine. The epitaph, however, comes from Rock Creek Park Cemetery in Washington, DC.


(Above: Endless Life, detail.)

The background of this piece is sort of special too. I friend here in Columbia, Libby Gamble, moved to California to pursue an MFA in photography. She gave me her stash of vintage clothing, material, and other assorted fabrics....including an old painter's drop cloth. I don't think I could have intentionally created a more perfect ground for these rubbings. Occasionally, I'd hit a patch of more solid, acrylic paint through which it was harder to stitch....but it was worth it!


(Above: Endless Life, reverse. Vintage embroidered cloth on vintage damask.)

To read more about this Grave Rubbing Art Quilt with additional images that can be enlarged, please CLICK HERE!

Deep in Dust, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt

(Above: Deep in Dust, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. 36 1/2" x 23 1/2". Crayon on silk grave rubbing, vintage linens and lace, hand and free motion machine embroidery.)

The rubbing for Deep in Dust was made in the Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, DC. The actual tombstone was quite wide and the epitaph appeared in only four lines. Of course, I split each line into two when creating the rubbing. While stitching, I thought I'd somehow made a mistake.


"Withering" isn't spelled "withring".

I checked my photos though...and in 1802 someone chiseled it in without the "e". Since then, an apostrophe was drawn in its place...but not carved into the stone. Thus, there is no indentation. I left my quilt the way it originally appeared!


(Above: Deep in Dust, detail.)

To read more about this Grave Rubbing Art Quilt with additional images that can be enlarged, please CLICK HERE.

Annamaria, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt

(Above: Annamaria, A Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. Crayon on silk rubbing, vintage linens, buttons, hand and free-motion machine embroidery.)

This the first time I've ever included the name and dates. It is also the first time the rubbing came from a relative's grave....well, not a "blood relative". Annamaria was my Aunt Margaret's sister. Aunt Margaret married my Dad's older brother, my Uncle Mathias....for whom my elder son is named. (They had no children.)

The grave is in the little town of Udvari, Hungary....a place I visited with my Mom, Dad, and sister Wanda this past summer (2010).


(Above: Annamaria, reverse.)

Some of these vintage linen pieces on the reverse were given to me by Connie Akers in Texas. To read more about this Grave Rubbing Art Quilt with additional images that can be enlarged, please click HERE.

In Loving Memory Of, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt

(Above: Loving Memory Of, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. Crayon on silk with vintage household linens. Hand and machine embroidery. 24" x 27".)

Loving Memory Of was made using several different tombstones while visiting Nottingham, England. (I blogged about the trip....with photos of the amazing cemetery....one of the most beautiful I've ever visited, HERE!) I am totally in debt to cyber friend Julie for suggesting we meet in this location. I dream of returning to the intricately carved slate with even larger pieces of silk. To read more about this Grave Rubbing Art quilt with images that can be enlarged, please click HERE.