(please click pictures to see in more detail)
Hello and welcome to Kit Lang Fiber Art! I'm very glad to have you all here, and thank Amy of Amy's Creative Side and the sponsors for the opportunity to be in the festival.
I began this quilt in December, 2009 and worked on it through the first several months of 2010 - as you can see, by the time I finished it, it was summer. I felt like it was my "magnum opus", called, "A Sparrow in the Rain".
When I first started quilting, this was the kind of quilt I one day hoped I'd make. The quilts I dreamt of were monochormatic, textural, densely quilted. And I'd finally made one!
At the time I began this quilt I had just been through a deep depression (in November 2009); and though I wasn't fully recovered, I wanted to express those feelings in fabric.
I have been interested in the art of crazy quilting and had wanted to interpret it in my own way, and thought that because of the association of "crazy" with mental illness, it would be my tongue-in-cheek way of discussing mental illness within the quilt.
As I constructed the four panels I thought about how mental illness affects us - what our brains feel like when we're blocking ourselves, looping, attempting to break out of boxes only to find ourselves in another, how we feel jagged, friable, lost.
And as I quilted my feelings over those weeks and months, they dissipated. And so I put "A Sparrow in the Rain" aside for a time.
A few months later, when I was well recovered, I brought it out to finish it. And that's why this, my favourite quilt (so far) that I've ever made has so many moods in it - ranging from dark to light. And the quilting reflects those mental states - tight and circular or loose and open.
BSP (Beloved Spouse) cautioned me, saying "Maybe you should wait until you're sad again to finish it so the rest of it feels the same. It would be a shame to ruin it now".
And though the outer edges do have a different feel to them than the rest of the quilt - I think it's appropriate that a quilt that is a meditation on depression should finish up with some hope.
The fabrics are silk paisely, Japanese cotton sateen, satin and silk. The back is a single piece of silk taffetta.
I hope you like it!
And please go and visit the rest of the quilts in the festival.
Posts
Very nice work! It's amazing the art that can come from mental illness. Happy to know you are copying and are better. Colors so express mood, don't they?
ReplyDeleteIt is so gorgeous and so meaningful to hear the story behind it. Your fabrics are just beautiful and the quilting is, too. Glad that you finished it feeling more optimistic.
ReplyDeleteoh wow... and finding myself in a torrent love affair with Grey, this quilt left me speechless... Then reading how and why you made it, pulls on my heartstrings. I was a psychotherapist by training and now a quilter by choice. And quilting is my therapy, my personal diary and my constant companion. And even if our styles might appear different, I assure you, they are coming from the same place. I am so glad you shared this quilt and your personal journey in making it, with us. Valentina in Cyprus.
ReplyDeleteArt and creativeness is therapy, and I am glad that it helped you at a difficult time.
ReplyDeleteI remember admiring this quilt before, and I do so even more now that I know the story behind it.
Deborah
R, I tried to reply to you but you're a "no reply blogger". In case you come back,
ReplyDeleteThanks very much! As for the colour, I love gray anyway - so though I'm working on a grey quilt right now, it's not because I'm depressed! :)
Thanks for visiting my blog.
I struggle with depression too and quilting is therapeutic for me. Thanks so much for sharing your story and your lovely quilt.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful piece of art. I love the color and I love the design and quilting. It's great.
ReplyDeleteFalling; you came up as no-reply as well, so if you should come back; thank you for your lovely comment, and I hope your struggle becomes less so with time and help.
ReplyDeleteKit
This is a stunning quilt and it's awesome that you had the courage to complete it and share the story. And the different textures of quilting reflecting depression and then hope is like a symphony, telling a story. Some of mine are therapeutic but I'm currently not brave enough to share the backstories of them.
ReplyDeleteTextisle, you too, are a no-reply blogger, but thank you for your comment. I hope some day you'll know there's no need to be afraid to share troubles that all of us, as humans, can relate to. Sharing our vulnerabilities only strengthens us.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Kit
I am really impressed with this quilt! Well done for doing it all in one colour, it is fantastic. I bet it was a very cathartic process making this one. Thanks for sharing your story, I too took up creativity as a way of combating depression. I knit but I have a quilt in the WIP pile...just cant bring myself to cut into those beautiful fabrics yet! :-)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful & amazing quilting! I, for one, am glad you quilted some hope into your quilt! Blessings.....
ReplyDeleteGreat quilt, Kit; very creative, as always.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. I think you can really feel the emotion and the story behind the quilting.
ReplyDeleteDepression can be so ugly and debilitating, but your quilt though somber in color is still so beautiful I think it should remind your of stitching away the depression.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason your quilt reminds me of a whole cloth quilt---maybe its the monochromatic color and the sense the lighter pieces give of being raised. I've been noodling about making a whole cloth quilt for quite a while, but I wanted it to have a more contemporary sense or look to it. Your quilt gives me a hint of how the quilting might appear on such a quilt. Despite the depression that was source of this lovely quilt, or maybe because of it, it has a feeling of speaking out, of delivering to its audience.
ReplyDeleteBig thanks to you for this inspiration and also for your comments on my quilt.
Hi Dee,(sorry, you were a no reply blogger as well)
ReplyDeleteI attempted a whole cloth quilt a year ago, and though it's a very pretty quilt, it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. Whenever I do monochromatic quilts (this grey one was my fourth one) they always turn out beautifully - to my eye, anyway. I just love the contrast of subtle movement in the colour combined with highly textural quilting.
Thanks for your kind comments.
Kit
Sometimes I feel our quilts are a testament to the human spirit. Yours certainly attests to that. It is beautiful and the different quilting moods add to it's specialness.
ReplyDeletequiltfever.wordpress.com
Stunning and special on so many levels! Thanks for sharing your art and your story!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know quite what to think when I saw the first photo of this quilt. I thought, "There must be a story behind this one." And there was. Thank you for telling it. Gray is my favorite neutral and I love how you used it and the quilting lines in this quilt to show your feelings. I hope brighter days are ahead!
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw this, I thought it was complex. I can also say I had a strong urge to turn away from it but I didn't. I read your words and now I understand I saw (in that part of me I don't let come out) the sadness.
ReplyDeleteI think your progress and journey through the quilt, including and especially the binding, is a testament to what those with depression face and have to overcome. I think it shows there is beauty at the end (the binding) even if you are sometimes wrapped in the greys.
Thank you for sharing your story and your touching quilt.
I am fascinated by the beautiful texture and patterns you have created in this quilt. It looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteStunningly beautiful quilt and quilting. Love how it shimmers. Your story is poignant but positive. Thanks for sharing and have a great day
ReplyDeleteKit, this is wonderful and I love that you worked through the depression while working on the quilt. I really believe our art is such an important part of our life and helps us through the challenges as well as allowing us to celebrate the high points. It's beautiful! Thanks for directing me to it.
ReplyDelete