Fear

This photo is a bit darker than the quilt. My biggest fear is snakes and I still couldn't bring myself to make a quilt in that subject. My second fear is heights. I tried to portray looking down into a well, I hope you can at least get the impression. Started out with a piece of white cloth. Added the walls of the well and then attacked the piece with Shiva paints sticks.
Great to see all the Fear quilts, I think I set a tough theme.

Fear. What is happening to our oceans

I live on the ocean front, Vancouver Island B.C. Canada.

I have many concerns about the growing pollution in our oceans around the world.

The future of our fish stocks, the birds and mamals that live in our oceans is in jeopardy and very fragile.

My piece was hard to photograph so hopefully you can see the intent.

Secure

This has been an interesting challenge. I'm not afraid of spiders or snakes. Heights make me uneasy so I like to think of it as a healthy fear. What is hard to break free of to me are insecurities like sharing your work on a blog or at guild meetings. It's easy to be sure no one will like it but I think to grow a person needs to share and learn from others. We need to unlock those fears or rust in place and risk loosing opportunities to grow.

So here is my rusted hand painted "Secure in Secure" I was pretty excited to find locks small enough for this piece and an added bonus the say "Secure" on them.

 

FEAR - MINDLESS

FEAR – MINDLESS

While I have several fears, I think celebrating another birthday in March (and it was another landmark – 70!), made me focus on my aging body with its aches and pains.  Generally speaking I’m not afraid of growing old or of dyeing.  That doesn’t mean I’m ready to call it quits though.   But with so much focus in the media on how the “old” are such a drain on society and the medical system, I thought I would do my art piece on dementia.  Aren’t we all afraid of more than “just” forgetting where we put our keys!  What will the future hold for ME?

The background fabric is one of my happy hand dyes - in colour and brightness.  I drew a profile of my head and heat-cut it out of purple organza.  The thin strips are just a variety of leftover fabric.  And of course, the circles are cats-eye marbles!

Even though this piece is about fear, I used a happy background because I’m hoping that is how I will cope.  From my family’s point of view, they might choose a dark background, as that is how they will be coping with what might be my condition.  I chose organza for my profile because I think I will be disappearing from the person I used to be (and in fact now am) and it expresses my fading away both mentally and physically.  The strips represent the fact that I might not be able to think of words or be able to express what is deep inside me as none of the strips are joined; they are basically lines that just stop.  And of course, we all use the phrase “I must be losing my marbles”, so I took my kids marbles that I now use for tie dyeing, and photographed them, printed them on treated fabric and now have another image for my stash.  Really the only quilting I did aside from stitching my profile down and securing the strips of fabric and marbles, was writing the words who, what, where, when, why and how into the background as those will be the unanswered questions both I and my family will ask.

My husband’s stepmother suffered from dementia.  She lived to 91 and was just lost in her own world.  I once saw a “funny” card that simply said “Look at me.   I’m happy and I don’t even know what’s going on.”  That always made me think of her, but now I’m afraid that might become me too.

My mom always said “I don’t feel old as long as I don’t look in a mirror!”  She lived to be 89 and didn’t suffer from dementia.  She was a strong woman.  I miss her and hopefully I will follow in her footsteps.

Fear - Triskapachydermophobia

I am not afraid of spiders or snakes  - I just don't like them, especially when they appear out of nowhere.

However, I am afraid of being given some fabric, lace, floral trim, and sparkles and being told "I want this exact pattern with this exact fabric, this exact lace, this exact trim, and these exact sparkles - and I would really like you to add a chicken or three turquoise elephants and iron-on dark pink braid".

Seafoam

The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach - waiting for a gift from the sea.

~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

 My piece for 'The Sea' is my interpretation of sea foam. I hooped water soluble stabilizer and heavily thread painted the large foamy pieces.  

This is what the piece looked like when I put the needlework onto the quilted base before I began the handwork.

The final piece.

 And most important, Jack, my adviser and coach in everything I make.

Fear

Hi everyone,

Your next challenge is "Fear". Sounds scary!!!. What do you fear? Spiders, snakes, the dark. Hope you are all Up for the Challenge.

Carol