Grave Rubbing Quilt Series

Anonymous

2011-12-08T12:05:00.000-05:00

Anonymous. 49" x 47". Crayon grave rubbing on 1930s child's slip collaged with scraps of vintage household linens on old drawn-work tablecloth. Hand and free-motion machine embroidery. To read more about this art quilt with images that can be enlarged, please click HERE.

At Rest in Arkansas

2011-12-08T12:01:00.001-05:00

At Rest in Arkansas. 16" x 17". Crayon rubbing on silk collaged with vintage household linens. Hand and free motion machine embroidery. To read more about this art quilt with images that can be enlarged, please click HERE.

Forever

2011-12-08T12:00:00.003-05:00

Forever. 22" x 26". Crayon on silk grave rubbing, recycled wedding gown, free motion machine and hand embroidery, beading. To read more about this art quilt with images that can be enlarged, please click HERE.

Gone But Not Forgotten

2011-12-08T11:58:00.001-05:00

Gone But Not Forgotten. 14" x 22 3/4". Crayon on silk grave rubbing, leftover material, recycled acrylic felt (batting), vintage linens (reverse) and antique/vintage buttons. Free motion machine and hand stitching. To read more about this art quilt with images that can be enlarged, please click HERE. There are three art quilts in this post.

The Weeping Willow

2011-12-08T11:56:00.002-05:00

The Weeping Willow. 26 1/4" x 34 1/2". Crayon on silk grave rubbing, fabric donated by a friend, recycled acrylic felt (batting), and vintage household linens (reverse). Free motion machine and hand stitching. To read more about this art quilt with images that can be enlarged, please click HERE and scroll down. There are three art quilts in this blog post.

The Cemetery

2011-12-08T11:47:00.002-05:00

The Cemetery. 68" x 55". Whole cloth quilt of crayon grave rubbings, free motion machine embroidered; recycled acrylic white felt (batting); vintage household linens (reverse). Grave Rubbings made in Nottingham, England. To read more about this art quilt with many images (all of which can be enlarged), please click HERE and scroll down. There are three art quilts in this blog post.

Charles Otis, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt

2011-06-04T13:38:00.000-04:00

(Above: Charles Otis, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. 46" x 38". Crayon grave rubbing, hand and free motion machine embroidery, vintage crochet, vintage damask and doily for reverse, assorted buttons.)

Before Valentine's Day, I got permission from the Unitarian Church in Charleston to make a grave rubbing of Otis Charles' tombstone. This was a really big deal because almost all the downtown cemeteries have posted rules prohibiting rubbings. (I blogged about it here.)

This is the first time I've ever made a rubbing from an entire grave. It is also the first time that I've included a full name with dates too. Thus, it seemed fitting to title the art quilt with the deceased's name ... Charles Otis.

To read more about this Grave Rubbing Art Quilt with plenty of detail photos ... all of which can be enlarged, please CLICK HERE.

Memory, Postcard for Skirt Magazine Scholarship Fund

2011-04-01T16:31:00.000-04:00

(Above: Memory, a postcard. 4" x 6". Crayon on silk grave rubbings. Hand and free motion machine embroidery.)

Skirt Magazine in Charleston, SC hosted an exhibit and one-night sale of postcards to benefit their scholarship fund for the College of Charleston. I made the postcard above, submitted it for consideration, and it was accepted. The coolest thing about the show is that each postcard cost $75 but the artist's name only appeared on the reverse side ... which will not be seen during the event.

To read more about this postcard Grave Rubbing art quilt with an image that can be enlarged, click HERE.

Memory, A SAQA auction art quilt

2011-03-01T14:22:00.000-05:00

(Above: Memory, a miniature Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. 11 3/4" x 11 1/2". Crayon on silk grave rubbings collaged on a vintage handkerchief with bits of crochet. Hand and free motion machine embroidery.)

This miniature art quilt is going to the SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) annual benefit auction. I've never participated in this event...but have only heard wonderful things about it. To read more about it on a blog post with images that can be enlarged, click HERE.

Endless Life, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt

2011-02-23T11:41:00.004-05:00

(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

2011-02-23T11:36:00.002-05:00

(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

2011-02-23T11:30:00.002-05:00

(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

2011-02-23T11:26:00.001-05:00

(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.

Milestone

2010-10-17T13:07:00.004-04:00

(Above: Milestones, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. 44" x 36 1/2" x 7". Crayon on tea-length wedding gown with veil on heavy peltex interfacing. Hand beaded through all layers except the veil. Free motion machine embroidery.)

(Above: Milestones, detail.)

To read more about this art quilt with plenty of additional images....all of which can be enlarged....PLEASE CLICK HERE!

At Rest

2010-10-17T13:07:00.000-04:00

(Above: At Rest. 53" x 44". Crayon on vintage sleeping gown. Hand quilted and free motion embroidery.)

(Above: At Rest, detail.)

To read more about this Grave Rubbing Art Quilt with plenty of additional images...all of which can be enlarged....PLEASE CLICK HERE!

(Above: At Rest, detail of reverse.)

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye

2010-10-17T12:57:00.002-04:00

(Above: It's So Hard To Say Goodbye, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. 25" x 25". Vintage linens and lace. Recycled felt center. Hand stitched.)

(Above: It's So Hard to Say Goodbye, detail.)

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

(Above: Reverse of It's So Hard to Say Goodbye.)

Only Child

2010-04-14T05:01:00.002-04:00

(Above: Only Child, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. 16" x 16". Vintage doll's dress, antique quilt fragment, recycled felt, vintage buttons and linens. Hand stitched.)

(Above: Only Child, detail. Below: Only Child, reverse.)

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

Born An Angel

2010-04-14T04:57:00.002-04:00

(Above: Born an Angel, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. 42" x 26". Crayon grave rubbing on a vintage christening gown; severely light damaged, recycled office curtain; vintage and new buttons; hand and free motion machine embroidery.)

(Above and below: Born an Angel, details.)

(Below: Born An Angel, reverse.)

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

Artist

2010-04-14T04:54:00.003-04:00

(Above: Artist, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. 12" x 16". Crayon on silk grave rubbing collaged with vintage linens and recycled material. Hand and free motion embroidered.)

(Above: Artist, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt, reverse.)
To read more about this Graver Rubbing Art Quilt with images that can be enlarged, click HERE!

In God's Care

2010-04-14T04:46:00.004-04:00

(Above: In God's Care, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. 27" x 26". Crayon on silk collage with vintage linens and recycled felt "batting". Vintage crochet covered buttons. Hand and free motion machine embroidery. Click on image to enlarge.)

(Above: In God's Care, reverse.)
To read more about this Grave Rubbing Art Quilt with images that can be enlarged, click HERE!

Artificial Flowers, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt

2010-02-26T18:11:00.002-05:00

(Above: Artificial Flowers, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. January 2010. Crayon on fabric rubbing, heat set; recycled artificial flowers from cemetery dumpsters; vintage linen table runner; recycled fabric and felt batting; beads and beaded trim; hand and machine embroidery.)

(Above: Detail of Artificial Flowers. Below: Reverse.)

To read more about this Grave Rubbing Art Quilt with images that can be enlarge, click HERE!

Bread of Idleness

2010-02-26T18:07:00.000-05:00

(Above: Bread of Idleness, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. 39 1/2" x 20". Crayon on fabric rubbing, heat set; vintage linens; hand and free motion embroidery.)

(Above: Detail of Bread of Idleness. Below: Reverse.)

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

Ready for Burial, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt

2010-02-26T18:01:00.002-05:00

(Above: Ready for Burial, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. January 2010. 69" x 42". Crayon on fabric grave rubbings, heat set; vintage dress and bed covering; hand and free motion embroidery.)

(Above and below: Details of Ready for Burial.)

(Above: Another detail of Ready for Burial. Below: Reverse....while laying on the floor.)

To read more about this Grave Rubbing Art Quilt with additional photos (all of which can be enlarged for closer inspection), click HERE!

Eccles II, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt

2010-02-26T17:57:00.002-05:00

Eccles II, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. 24 3/4" x 34 3/4". Crayon on fabric, heat set. Hand and free motion machine embroidery. Words include: Here Reƒteth the Body. Buri'd Oct. 24 1794 November 11 th 1798 Aged 59 Years James Glover reƒurrectionis.

(Above: Detail of Eccles II. Below: Reverse.)

To read more about this Grave Rubbing Art Quilt with images that can be enlarge, please click HERE!

My Epitaph Quilt

2010-02-26T17:49:00.003-05:00

(Above: My Epitaph Quilt. Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. December 2009. 47 1/2" x 46". Crayon on silk grave rubbing with vintage tablecloth on severely light-damaged, recycled curtain. Vintage buttons. Hand embroidery.)

Above: Detail of My Epitaph Quilt.

Above: Detail of the center of My Epitaph Quilt.

Above: My Epitaph Quilt, detail of my name.

Above: Another detail of My Epitaph Quilt. Below: Reverse. Free motion embroidered collage of vintage linens and lace on an old tablecloth.

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

Transported Soul

2009-11-17T14:11:00.002-05:00

(Above: Transported Soul, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. 14" x 19 1/2". Crayon on silk collaged with vintage doily onto severely light damaged, recycled curtain. Vintage and buttons. Hand and free motion embroidered.)

(Above: Transported Soul, detail. Below: Reverse.)

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

Weep Not For Me, Grave Rubbing Quilt

2009-11-17T14:08:00.001-05:00

(Above: Weep Not For Me, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. 21 1/4" x 16 1/4". Crayon on silk collage with vintage linens and doily on a scrap of material acquired at a local household auction. Vintage and new buttons, including what might actually be "horn" from Austria and also "buckle" like plastic/celluloid notions. Hand and free motion embroidered.)

(Above: Weep Not For Me, detail. Below: Reverse.)

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

Time Flies, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt

2009-11-17T14:04:00.003-05:00

(Above: Time Flies, Grave Rubbing Quilt Series. 34 1/2 " x 35". Crayon grave rubbings on silk and polyester collaged with hand and free motion embroidery. Recycled felt batting. Vintage linens for reverse.)

(Above and below: Details of Times Flies.)

(Above and below: Details of Time Flies.)

(Above: Detail of Time Flies. Below: Reverse.)

(Above: Reverse Time Flies. Below: Detail of reverse, Time Flies.)

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

The Virgin of Guadalupe, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt

2009-11-17T14:01:00.002-05:00

(Above: The Virgin of Guadalupe. 21 1/2" x 15". Crayon on fabric rubbing collage with vintage doily, severely light damaged curtain salvaged from an office, and buttons.)

(Above: The Virgin of Guadalupe, detail. Below: Reverse.)

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

Eccles, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt

2009-11-17T13:57:00.001-05:00

(Above: Eccles, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. 24" x 30 1/2". Crayon on fabric collaged with 19th c. black lace on severely light damaged but recycled curtain from an office building. Recycled black felt "batting" from a kayak/canoe store. Hand and free-motion embroidery.)

(Above and below: Details from Eccles.)

(Below: Eccles, reverse.)

To read more about this Grave Rubbing Art Quilt with images that can be enlarged. Please click, HERE!

A Bud On Earth

2009-10-13T14:12:00.002-04:00

On Earth a Bud. Crayon on fabric; vintage lace, linens, and buttons. hand and free motion machine embroidery; beads and artificial flowers from a local cemetery arrangement.)

The rubbings on this piece came from Birmingham, UK; Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, VA; Colma, California; and Wiscasset, Maine. While working, I think about the various decades and locations from which these gravestones come. It is amazing; we are all connected....all over the world and throughout time...in our common passage from life.

To read the original September 7, 2009 blog post about this art quilt and view the images that can be clicked on for enlargement, please click HERE!

(Above: Detail of A Bud on Earth, including the tiny artificial flowers collected recently from the cemetery dumpster. Below: Reverse of A Bud on Earth.)

Skull and Crossbones

2009-10-13T14:09:00.001-04:00

(Above: Skull and Crossbones, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. 13" x 13 1/2". Crayon on silk collaged with doily and severely light-damaged, recycled fabric; buttons, hand and free-motion machine embroidery.

(Above: Skull and Crossbones, reverse.)

To read the original October 8, 2009 blog post about this art quilt and view the images that can be enlarged, please click HERE!

Greatfully Dead

2009-10-13T14:06:00.002-04:00

(Above: Greatfully Dead. Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. 11 1/4" x 17". Crayon on silk collaged with vintage doily and recycled materials. Hand and free motion embroidery.)

(Reverse of Greatfully Dead.)

To read the original October 8, 2009 blog post about this art quilt and view the images that can be enlarged, please click HERE!

Cats Leave Pawprints on Our Hearts

2009-10-13T14:03:00.001-04:00

(Above: Cats Leave Pawprints on our Hearts. Grave Rubbing Quilt Series. 12 3/4" x 15 1/2". Crayon on fabric rubbing from Pet's Rest, a pet cemetery in Colma, CA on the back of a Decision Portrait Series piece that didn't work out....recycled! Vintage buttons and doily. Hand stitching. This is the only one in the series with any "color"; it seemed appropriate.)

To read the original October 4, 2009 blog post about this art quilt and view the images that can be clicked on for enlargement, please click HERE!

(Above: Cats Leave Pawprints on Our Hearts. Reverse.)

Here Rests the Body

2009-10-13T14:00:00.002-04:00

(Above: Here Rests the Body, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. 17" x 13". Crayon on fabric grave rubbing done in Birmingham, UK. Vintage doily. Hand stitching.)

To read the original October 4, 2009 blog post about this art quilt and view the images that can be enlarged, please click HERE!

(Above: Here Rests the Body, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. Reverse.)

Young, Strong, Beautiful

2009-10-13T13:52:00.003-04:00

(Above: Young, Strong, Beautiful, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. 14" x 12 1/4". Crayon on fabric grave rubbing done in Birmingham, UK collaged with vintage handkerchief and Victorian era black lace. Buttons purchased while in Austria. Hand stitched.)

To read the original October 4, 2009 blog post with images that enlarge, please visit HERE!

(Above: Young, Strong, Beautiful, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series, reverse.)

Here Lyeth the Body: Grave Rubbing Quilt Series

2009-09-07T12:35:00.003-04:00

(Above: Here Lyeth the Body, Grave Rubbing Quilt Series. 23 1/4" x 26". Crayon on fabric, vintage tablecloth, hand and free motion machine embroidery. Batting: Recycled black felt. Reverse: Vintage quilt top and linen.)

To read the original August 24th post with images that can be "clicked on" for enlargement, please go HERE.

I stitched most of this Grave Rubbing Quilt while riding in the car to and from Washington, DC. The free motion machine embroidery, edges, and back were completed upon my return. The "black" crayon rubbings came from Eccles, UK....just outside Manchester. The "brown" crayon rubbings came from Birmingham. The heavy kantha styled running stitch, however, had almost obliterated the embroidery that decorated the tablecloth. I used a black crayon to bring out the highlights and am really pleased how the "grayer" shade really helped tie the elements together.

Sacred

2009-08-05T15:38:00.003-04:00

(Sacred, Grave Rubbing Quilt Series. 18" x 31". Crayon on fabric grave rubbing on severely light damaged, old office curtain with an overlay of 19th c. black lace; recycled black felt; vintage buttons. Hand and free motion machine embroidery. Click on image to enlarge.)

To read the original, August 5th blog entry with images that can be "clicked on" for enlarge, please go HERE!

I made this grave rubbing in the cemetery outside Chester Cathedral in England. The stone was flat on the ground, weathered, and used as part of the public walking area around the building. It dated from the early 19th century (circa 1820) and had the largest and most ornately carved word, "Sacred". Amazingly (and probably because it was flat on the ground!), I got this excellent impression.

The words on the gravestone were generally selected by a family member or mourner. They represent a then "present day" statement about a loved one who just became part of "the past". Yet, these words address those who come in "the future"....like me...like all those who will come once I, too, am part of the past. I love this notion of shifting time....past, present, and future all captured in the words left in a cemetery.

Using recycled and vintage household linens is part of my part to express this notion of time. The aprons, tea towels, pillowcases, buttons, lace, doilies, and recycled material all had a completely different "life" in the "past". I am using them in my "present" and hoping that they will be seen now and also in "the future". (I hope this makes sense!)

Death the Divider

2009-08-04T13:43:00.002-04:00

(Above: Death the Divider, Grave Rubbing Quilt Series. Crayon on fabric. Hand and free-motion machine embroidery. Vintage pillowcase with crochet and severely light damaged materil. Vintage buttons. 38 1/2" x 19 1/2". Detail below.)

From the original, July 27th blog post with images that can be "clicked on" for enlargement:

This piece was mostly stitched in Minnesota. I returned to finish the free-motion work, add the buttons, and create the unique back from vintage linens. I'm particularly happy about the new "sleeve". Until the workshop at the University of Minnesota, I didn't realize that the sleeve needed to incorporate "space" for the hanging rod. (This seems pretty obvious now....but I just didn't "get it"....probably because I don't actually hang all this on my own walls.)

Obviously, I remain under the kantha stitch spell. This piece is really "thick". I use recycled black felt from a kayak shop for the center. Most stitches were done a "poke at a time"....but, even so it was very mediative. Also, this was the first grave rubbing quilt that I didn't free motion around the individual letters. The words came from Birmingham, UK (I think?) and the floral pattern came from Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, VA.

He Who Is

2009-08-04T13:39:00.002-04:00

(Above: He Who Is, Grave Rubbing Quilt Series. 32 1/2" x 22". Crayon on fabric rubbing with free motion and hand embroidery. Vintage buttons.)

I made this grave rubbing in the Serbian Cemetery in Colma, California. It is the largest single rubbing I've ever attempted and it turned out fabulously. Thus, it became a whole quilt. As I've recently learned, a whole quilt is created using a single piece of fabric for the top layer. It is generally white; has no patchwork or applique; and relies on the stitching for its ornamentation. Well, the fabric isn't exactly white and the stitching is simply the kantha running stitches and there is a design.....but, by and large, this is a whole quilt! I did the hand stitching during last week's trip to England. Once home, I finished it with vintage buttons, buttonhole stitches, and a unique reverse made of old household linens.

(Above: Detail of front. Below: Reverse, vintage linens and apron.)

The title is a rough translation of the letters found in the halo. The other letters, beside the halo spell "Jesus Christ". The original, July 11, 2009 blog post with images that can be "clicked on" for enlargement, is HERE!

Reverence

2009-08-04T13:33:00.002-04:00

(Reverence. Grave Rubbing Quilt Series. Crayon on taffeta. Hand and free motion machine embroidery. 25" x 20 1/4". Vintage buttons.

From the original, June 23rd blog post:

Just put me in a car for a seven-and-a-half to eight hour one-way drive and then back again! I love riding....looking out the window....and especially STITCHING! This newest piece in the Grave Rubbing Quilt series was merely basted before our trip to Washington, DC. My idea of basting is a few lines of free motion stitching...which remain. Since returning home, I added the buttons, cut a vintage tablecloth for the reverse, and buttonhole stitched the edges. Otherwise, the piece was done in the car. That's lots and lots of kantha stitching....running stitches that unite layers of fabric. It's very meditative.

(Above: Detail of front. Below: Reverse)
This art quilt was named after an Internet request by Ruth in Montana.

Take Ye Heed

2009-08-04T13:27:00.001-04:00

(Above: Take Ye Heed, Grave Rubbing Quilt Series. Crayon on fabric rubbing collaged with vintage and assorted lace and linens. Hand and free motion machine embroidery. Words: Take Ye Heed. Watch and Pray for ye know not when the time is. Mark XIII.)

From the original blog post with images that can be "clicked on" for enlargement:

On June 17th I finished the newest piece in the Grave Rubbing Quilt Series. Unfortunately, I forgot to snap a shot of the reverse which once was a card table/bridge tablecloth. The rubbing was made in the old Warstone Lane cemetery in Birmingham, England. Most of the linens and lace were from my "stash" (which is starting to dwindle! Yikes!) The two hand dyed pieces of lace were a gift from Linda Lynch. I hope she likes how I've put them to use!

Never Accurate But Never Dull

2009-08-04T13:11:00.004-04:00

(Above: Never Accurate But Never Dull, Grave Rubbing Quilt Series. 24" x 18". Crayon on silk grave rubbing collaged with vintage lace on severely light damaged curtains. Hand and free-motion machine embroidery.

This quilt was accepted by juror Paul Kaufman into the regional exhibition at the Hudgens Center for the Arts in Duluth, GA from September 24 – October 26, 2009. The show, Fiber Artistry - Journey of the Imagination is sponsored by The Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild.

From the original, May 25th blog post about this art quilt:

Looking back, cemeteries have always been a fascination. Chiseled gravestones, flags and flowers, and a place for remembrances have always been important to me. Now, however, I'm deeply involved in an art series using grave rubbings, epitaphs, and photos from these sacred places. It just happened to be Memorial Day weekend when this creative adventure took us to our nation's capital and Arlington National Cemetery.

While at Arlington, I wandered off by myself....barefoot. It just seemed right. This is often how I walk through cemeteries. I've had some comments/emails about "respect" with regards to grave rubbings. Please note, I don't use any of the names; I pick up litter as I go; I pray; I step quietly and barefoot...though, yes, upon the grave site. This artistic work is being made and collected with my utmost respect.

Then, I stitched the entire way home....on another Grave Rubbing Quilt....Never Accurate But Never Dull. While this isn't the sort of thing I might want left said of my life, the words spoke volumes to me. These appeared to be words left by a husband for his cherished wife. The vintage lace and crocheted glove just seemed perfect for it.

(Above: Detail of front. Below: Reverse.)

Dove of Peace

2009-08-04T13:10:00.000-04:00

(Above: Dove of Peace, Grave Rubbing Series. 14" x 18". Black crayon on taffeta, recycled felt, vintage linen backing; antique lace; beads; hand and free motion machine embroidery.)

The original blog post with an image that can be "clicked on" for enlargement is HERE and includes this paragraph:

This grave rubbing was done from three different stones in the Presidio Military Cemetery in San Francisco. It is only the second piece in the series that isn't a collage; it's a "whole quilt"....I think(?) I've really only been quilting since last fall and am not sure about all the proper vocabulary. Whatever it is....there's only one piece of material making up the top layer. I didn't actually "plan" the design; I just liked how these rubbings looked without snipping them apart first. When I put the antique lace in place, I knew my design was complete. For some reason, I didn't do a lot of handwork on this small art quilt. I don't think it needed it.

Colma....City of the Dead

2009-08-04T13:07:00.000-04:00

The Grave Rubbing Quilt Series took me to Colma, California....City of the Dead....with its seventeen cemeteries and an entire weekend devoted to discovering more epitaphs, creating more grave rubbings, and especially immersing myself into the theme for the future exhibit and artwork. The blog post about this important trip is HERE!

Be Ye Also Ready

2009-08-04T13:03:00.002-04:00

(Above: Grave Rubbing Quilt Series: Be Ye Also Ready. Crayon grave rubbing on fabric collaged onto vintage black lace over severely sun damaged curtains. Recycled felt center, vintage buttons, hand and machine embroidery. 24" x 18".)

From the May 13th blog post about this art quilt:
My love affair with kantha stitching...those wonderful running stitches that unite recycled fabrics....is as strong as ever. The taupe colored material once hung as drapery in an office. The black felt quilt center (batting) once protected a kayak or canoe being shipped to River Runner, a local outdoor sporting store. The lace...well...it's vintage. These materials have all had other uses but were stitched together as a quilt....lots of stitches. Only the outlines of the letters and some of the grave rubbing details were stitched in free motion machine embroidery. The rest....all handwork!
To access the original post and its images that can be "clicked on" for enlargement, please go HERE!

Touring a Funeral Home

2009-08-04T12:55:00.003-04:00

By April 2009 the Grave Rubbing Series had expanded into a plan for a solo exhibition at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios, 808 Lady Street in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. This setting is also the location of my studio. The grave rubbing quilts and a related, hanging installation of free-motion embroidered epitaphs on sheer chiffon will become part of "Last Words and the Blues", a two-part exhibit. The main gallery will showcase Blues Chapel. The atrium will become "the cemetery". To further my knowledge and stimulate my creativity, I visited Shive's Funeral Home in March 2009. That blog post can be accessed HERE! The test for the hanging installation can be accessed HERE!

Killed Instantly

2009-08-04T12:50:00.003-04:00

(Grave Rubbing Quilt Series, Killed Instantly. 24 1/2" x 24". Running stitch in wool. Vintage doily with embroidered poppies and vintage lace and linens on severely light damaged material salvaged from an old office window. Grave rubbings made with crayon on silk with words: Born 1817. Killed instantly in front of Petersburg, Va. June 22, 1864. Brave Christian Solider Fare Thee Well.)

The original blog post about this work can be found HERE with images that can be "clicked on" for enlargement.

The text included:This Grave Rubbing Series piece was finished March 17, 2009. I'm totally in love with the repetitive and soothing motion of the kantha stitch....running stitches that meld layers into one. This piece has triggered many thoughts about the words selected for graves. Obviously, these words speak of the raw emotions of a distraught family. I can't, however, think the man would have really wanted to be remembered quite for this one event! There must have been more to him than his death! As a result, I've been collecting epitaphs...scribbled in my notebook...stewing in my brain for future work. I've also started a very, very large grave rubbing quilt. I'll have to post images while it progresses as I can't possibly finish it anytime soon! The poppies are a perfect touch. As a Girl Scout, I remember selling artificial poppies on Veteran's Day to benefit the VA hospital. To learn more about the Poppy Story, click here.

(Above and below: Additional details.)

Lost at Sea

2009-08-04T12:46:00.001-04:00

(Above and below: Grave Rubbing Quilt Series: Lost at Sea. 18" x 21". Crayon on silk rubbing, scraps of an opaque chiffon scarf, hand and machine embroidery on severely light-damaged remnants of an old curtain. Words: Lost at Sea; Drowned (repeated); We therefore commit this body to the deep...Looking for the resurrection....When the sea shall give up her dead".)

The original, March 20th 2009 blog post with images that can be enlarged and text about this art quilt includes the following paragraph:

I didn't photograph the reverse of this small art quilt as I didn't use vintage linens. I did, however, use recycled black felt in place of the batting. It came from the local canoe and kayak shop. New boats are sent to such stores wrapped in perfectly usable felt. The owner didn't want to throw it away, so he gave me yards and yards of the stuff! There's something wonderful in using old linens, recycled materials, and grave rubbings together. The used fabric just seems to feel better...like it is lending a spirit of the past and making a point of remembrance. It also seemed "right" to incorporate something attached to the notion of a "boat" with the sentiments of loss and mystery surrounding such a death.

God Called Her Home to Heaven

2009-08-04T12:44:00.001-04:00

(Above, front and below, reverse: Grave Rubbing Quilt Series. God Called Her Home to Heaven. 17" x 12". Hand and free-motion machine embroidery on vintage guest towel. Crayon rubbings. Found, vintage photograph and lace. Reverse includes "Asleep in Jesus" rubbing.)

This quilt was finished in early March 2009. The original blog post with images that can be enlarged is HERE!

The Just By Faith Shall Live Again

2009-08-04T12:37:00.002-04:00

(Above, front and below, reverse. Grave Rubbing Series Quilt. The Just by Faith Shall Live Again. 14" x 18". Hand and free-motion machine embroidery on vintage linen and severely light damaged, recycled curtain scrap with found buttons. Crayon rubbing. Reverse: Vintage hand embroidered linen runner.)

This small quilt was accepted by jurors Eugenia Barnes and Roger Smith into the 2009 National Small Art Quilts Works Exhibition in Groton, NY at the Main Street Gallery, from July 23 - September 6, 2009.

To visit the original blog post with images that can be enlarged, click HERE!

Thy Blessed Will Be Done

2009-08-04T12:34:00.001-04:00

(Above and below. Grave Rubbing Quilt. Thy Blessed Will be Done. Grave rubbing on silk machine stitched to a vintage doily, a scrap of a severely light damaged curtain, and finally onto a piece of fringed crochet. I hand stitched it to the crochet so that the back is still visible. This was finished in mid-February 2009.

To visit the original blog post with images that can be enlarged, please click HERE!

Father and Mother

2009-08-04T12:24:00.002-04:00

(Grave Rubbing Quilt Series. Father and Mother. 29" x 30". Crayon on silk rubbings. Vintage drawn work linen. Silk. Hand and free-motion machine embroidery.)

This quilt was accepted by juror Cynthia Bringle as BEST OF SHOW at Palmetto Hands 2009, the annual South Carolina fine craft exhibition held at the North Charleston Convention Center. It was also accepted by jurors Sylvia Einstein and Judy Becker into Art Quilts Lowell 2009, a national juried exhibition held in the Brush Gallery, Lowell, MA from August 5 - September 19, 2009.

This quilt was finished in early February 2009. The following words accompanied the blog post I wrote at that time. To access this original post and the images that can "clicked on" for enlargement, please go HERE!

Okay, this is officially a series: The Grave Rubbing Series.

I made all these rubbings in Maine while at the MacNamara Foundation residency program. I had fantasies of making art with the results. It all seemed so bohemian and exotic...dancing alone in a cemetery with yards of silk fabric and a child's brown crayon...dreaming about the art I'd make...letting nature and a sense of eternal peacefulness take control.

Somehow...in the autumn sunsets and the picture-perfect setting...I thought this was just a "wish" or wishful thinking. I thought that I'd feel regret for purchasing the fabric and wasting a perfect afternoon pursuing an idealized idea of "being an artist". Honestly, I hoped to make art...but never would have bet on actually doing it. The "censor" in the back of my mind chided me...saying, "You'll never really DO anything with all these grave rubbings"

Well....I did. I am.....and.... I will be doing even more. This is officially a series. Where it is going is anyone's guess. Father and Mother is the latest one finished. I think I stitched it to within an inch of its life...or death! I used some sort of Pellon, stiff material on the back so that the corners would hold their positions despite a lower placement for the rod sleeve on the reverse.

18th Century Angel

2009-08-04T12:08:00.003-04:00

(Above: Grave Rubbing Quilt Series. 18th. Century Angel.)

This quilt was accepted into the Wichita National All Media Craft Exhibition 2009 at the Wichita Center for the Art, September 4 - October 18, 2009.

The rubbing was made in Maine; it incorporates the chiseled relief from two very early graves...one with an angel and the other with a fern. The fabric is silk. The date on the tombstones was 1796. I appliqued the heat-set crayon rubbing onto a vintage piece of linen with an elaborate crocheted edge. The linen was damaged....the center had several holes and stains. I simply adore taking a discarded object and restoring it to a state of beauty. The background fabric was recycled from an office in the building where Gallery 80808/Vista Studios is located. The sun had stained the curtains. Dirt, errant sprays of paint, and neglect had taken its toll on the material. I asked the janitor if I could have it. He thought I was insane....but...it is the PERFECT coloring...the PERFECT weight and texture. It is also the PERFECT feel for this piece. The edge is a row of vintage buttons.

(Above: Detail. )
To read the original blog post with images that can be enlarged, please go HERE!

Early Grave

2009-08-04T12:05:00.002-04:00

(Above: Grave Rubbing Quilt Series. Early Grave. February 2009.)

This is the piece that isn't quite finished. I see it as something more than a simple quilt. I've already bought a rusted, iron fixture to use with it. I envision a shroud....and modern words on sheer netting. I thing this piece is pivotal in the series as this piece is more personal than the others. After all, I'm turning fifty year old this summer.

Okay, I know I've been "claiming" to be 50 since early last year. I HATE all the ages ending with the number 9. Jack Benny forever ruined the age "39" and no one really believes those ages anyway. I went straight for the "big" number as soon as I thought I could. So....I've been claiming to be age 50 for over a year despite the fact that my birthday isn't until June 24th of this coming summer.

The grave in Maine coupled the words "50 yrs. 6 mos." with "early grave". Well, I certainly think dying at 50 would be an early grave! Somehow, I've got to get this piece to reflect my emotional response to seeing the grave. I've been experimenting with free-motion embroidery on netting for a stream-of-consciousness text to "float" over the quilt. So....here's my quilt....I'm still working on the proper way to display it!

My thoughts on the series from February 2009

2009-08-04T12:01:00.002-04:00

(Above: Several yards of grave rubbings created in Maine. Crayon on silk....following an idea from Jeanne Williamson's The Uncommon Quilter.)

Recently, I've been stitching on a new series. All the work happens to be quilts...which for me is a little strange. I've never thought of myself as a quilter but somehow it just seems the right way to use all the grave rubbings I created last autumn in Maine. I'm appliqueing the silk rubbings and vintage linens together. The process seems as much about personal mortality as it does in the preservation of universal memories.

Mortality, especially my own, and MEMORY...these are the feelings I have when visiting cemeteries....and I love walking through graveyards. There are stories just beneath the surface...entire families who have left a mark, a name, a clue to their existence. I feel close to history and part of the inevitable evolution of life. I think about the work I want to make before I die. I think about the symbolic hourglass and the sands of time.....how do I want to spend the remaining years, months, weeks, days, hours....?

I had an chance to visit the very famous Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah a little over a week ago. I want to share some of the hundreds of photos I took. Hopefully, others will feel a kindred spirit with my curiosity and affection for these special places/special tombs....for these personal thoughts about art and life. How can I stitch my emotions? How can I leave a mark/thread that will touch someone yet to be born?

All the statues stare into space...not into ones eyes. Many point a path to the sky, to heaven, to some uncharted location. All of the carved figures seem to know something special. (I shot well over 300 images in less than an hour and a half....which is saying quite a lot. Each depression of the shutter somehow felt like an intrusion....a disturbance of the peace and quiet of the cemetery. I felt as if one foot was in heaven and the other trying to blog about the trip!)

I know that my Grave Rubbing Quilt series is "going somewhere". I just don't know the location. I'm stitching....stitching like mad! I feel a peaceful calm about the series....something that tells me to keep working....the reason will make itself clear in time!

To visit the blog post from which these words came and with images from Bonaventure Cemetery, please click HERE!

Our Darling Sons

2009-08-04T11:52:00.003-04:00

(Above: Grave Rubbing Quilt Series: Our Darling Sons. Rubbings created with crayon on silk; Appliqued onto vintage linens with crocheted edges. Hand and free-motion machine embroidery.) This quilt was accepted by juror Pritika Chowdhry into a national show at Woman Made Gallery in Chicago called Cultural Memory: Transdiasporic Art Practices, September 4 - October 10, 2009.

(Above and below: Details from Grave Rubbing Quilt Series: Our Darling Sons. Words include: Died in infancy; Blessed; Gentle; Our Darling Sons; Died; Son 1895; Young; Eldest Son; Suffer little children to come unto me; I take this little lamb said he, And lay it in my breast, Protection it shall find in me, In Me be ever blest; and Safe in the Arms of Jesus.)

On the first of February, I wrote about this art quilt: The grave rubbings I made in Maine are currently my focus for both hand and free-motion machine embroidery. The trip to Savannah and its Bonaventure Cemetery are fueling each running stitch....like the kantha clothes in Indian, I feel a sense of memory, softness, and personal investment. I've started two more pieces in this series too!

(Above: Reverse.)
To visit the blog post with images that can be "clicked on" for enlargement, please go HERE!

One Less to Love on Earth

2009-08-04T11:44:00.003-04:00

(Above: One Less to Love on Earth. Grave rubbings, crayon on silk, appliqued on vintage linen guest towel with cutwork. Hand stitched. Words: One Less to Love on Earth. One More to Meet in Heaven; Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his Trust; Thy Blessed Will Be Done.)

This small grave rubbing quilt was completed toward the end of January 2009. I added two little crochet pieces to all stitching. Obviously, I'm still under the influence of all those beautiful kantha clothes I saw while at the Swedish Embroidery Symposium. I really do love the running stitch and little seeding stitches.

To visit the blog post with images that can be "clicked on" for enlargement, go HERE!

(Above: The reverse. Vintage guest towel and napkin.)

We Will Meet Again

2009-08-04T11:38:00.002-04:00

(We Will Meet Again. Miniature quilt created from vintage linen and lace on embroidered napkin. Crayon grave rubbing on silk. Hand and machine stitched. 10" x 10 1/4".)

This very small grave rubbing quilt was done in mid-December 2008. To visit the blog post with images that can be "clicked on" for closer inspection, go HERE!

Memory

2009-08-04T11:30:00.003-04:00

(Memory. Grave Rubbing Art Quilt. 2008. 24 1/2" x 32 1/2". Grave rubbings in crayon on silk. Hand and machine embroidered.)

This second quilt in the series was finished early in December 2008. It was later accepted into the all-media national art exhibition at the Imperial Art Center in Rocky Mount, NC.

In December I wrote: Obviously, I'm still under the spell of the kantha cloth and all the textural surfaces created by their simple running stitches. I've been working on this quilt for several weeks....hand-stitching every night before I go to bed. I don't seem to want the edges bound....just raw with the blanket stitch. I feels right to me.

To visit the December 2008 blog post with images that can be "clicked on" for enlargement, please go HERE!

(Above and below: Additional details of Memory.)

The Start of the Series

2009-08-04T11:16:00.003-04:00

(Grave Rubbings: Patience. 23" x 29 1/2". Crayon on tea-stained muslin. Hand and machine embroidered.)

The Grave Rubbing Quilt Series started in Maine. I'd been awarded a six-week art residency at the MacNamara Foundation on the remote Westport Island. That's six weeks of provided room & board, studio space, and a travel stipend....and the only requirement was to make art! Heaven!

These words were included on my regular blog, Art in Stitches. They document the start of the series and accompanied these images:

While in Maine for six weeks I noticed small, family cemeteries all over the place. Several were within easy walking distance from the MacNamara Foundation. I'd never made a grave rubbing before and I might not have thought of it at all except that I was reading Jeanne Williamson's The Uncommon Quilter which I picked up at the fabulous Maine Coast Book Shop in Damariscotta on "laundry day".

(Above: Detail.)

On page 85 I read, "When you were a child, did you ever make gravestone rubbings?.....rubbing a big crayon over the surface....This same basic technique can be used to create textures on fabric. To make the design permanent simply iron it in place." The book went on to suggest other textures for mark making but I was instantly inspired to actually take fabric and crayons to the nearby burial sites. How could I resist "Lost at Sea", weeping willows, urns, 18th c. dates, and quiet moments reaching out to touch the remains of history?

My first attempts were done on a piece of tea-stained muslin. I started stitching right away...all the way home while Steve drove, and over the next week of evenings. I've just finished. A piece of vintage linen for used for the reverse. It had been a summer spread for a child's bed but was damaged. Variegated pearl cotton blanket stitches created the edge.

(Above: Detail.)

I came home with yards of grave rubbing material. These were done on silk, a much more receptive material for the rubbings. (For a photo, click here.) Yesterday, I put together another "art quilt" and started stitching again.

I've never actually considered myself a quilter but this format seems perfect for these rubbings. Maybe my anxiety about quilting stems from the seemingly required rules for perfect piecing, even machine stitches, careful measurement, and traditional construction methods. I just can't make myself conform. Yet, I was also reading Robert Shaw's The Art Quilt while in Maine....and learning how others have successfully broken all these rules. Many of the works in this volume closely follow ideal, perfect, traditional construction. They scare me. Yet, many don't. They excite me! The more I read, the more I understood that there's plenty of exploration in this field....even for someone like me!

(Above: Reverse.)

Okay, I also learned what a "journal quilt" is and what the definition for "art quilt" is! I've been reading these terms on blogs for over a year but really didn't "get it". My abilities with free motion machine embroidery aren't the greatest. My hand stitching isn't ideal. Together, though, unique textures are achieved. This I can do very well. The results give the impression of being crafted by loving hands and almost a sign of well worn age. I like this. Who knows, I might become an art quilter now!

To see the original post of this quilt with images that can be "clicked on" for enlargement, please go HERE!