This is the biggest piece I made this year. It may be my biggest piece ever.
Multitudes, 51x51
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg133LQ5tBAGTzC2M0qC4R1t1rsn4713uGx8Hc9jNyP-w7CRTltrFJ05NnbQflaWPnPidbjtnRZB40jKavy3IrJplzi6M_8V4SNZdEe3RwMNcpY0oJi8bFMwrR4k9zti2CZTD1j/s400/IMG_6819.jpg)
You know how sometimes a word, song, image or theme mysteriously keeps appearing in your life? It just keeps tapping you on the shoulder? For me, it was a bit from Walt Whitman's poem Song of Myself.
Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)
So I made a quilt. The bowl image is also tapping me on the shoulder, so I explored that again here. The bowl is full -- and yet it's empty. It's layered with details -- and yet it's spare and simple.
I challenged myself to compose the background of this piece very quickly. I added the light gray arch after the bowl and the flower shapes. There was too much dark gray before.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3pl2vbNswhpVwm_EKvqLSoLfT72S4UjUAcWmnswfYLLmQ4oDG9w65EO5I_KO4Ui3C4YYYOpSPDE9qRLjnNEx215IfRxCADrqtpa68MkhIxVQrHi_KMy50l4wfzFEV-9CXjy2/s400/IMG_0752.jpg)
The quote is stitched with a layer of tulle. The "I" and the "c" were a little lost, so I restitched over them in yellow.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNWZKzMzsozhGLX96H5qz3AmrYz6eCHGSzShcm_7VF_46sY3fhahpcsqgbvMTPA1vd_k5sKo4owKoAyuqEhEGPpUI6da5vYuSe-Q_hcdOoRFJT22RnQbkkLa6Oih8KycfT2v8/s400/IMG_1138.jpg)
Some of the flower shapes are painted using a freezer paper stencil and others are simply outlined with an embroidered straight stitch.
I've been adding more free motion quilting to my work lately. I think this leaf motif worked out really well.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiow8SwprUofR5Wk27fYOVNHfetCz1m37BBV_AHQV8SLQdo5QgLQheBqN3xf7iZmShO5E1pEWxePDLbWEOpqyXK_Q2X-u-4Y_O93Ow7ohbnUvfThFYEYTkSC8lTENSfYpc4w74W/s400/IMG_6830.jpg)
I was thrilled to hang the quilt in a lovely gallery in Plano. It's hanging next to my friend Lu's quilt and they really looked nice together.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIdnCf1N-IHR9DTaUPmxhfrC7559jYiL9oyAi2rS0hpqLUHXHTbQt8j6WzOqBdq2HidOYhk67a_BwkpUYOyawjkuDx0Giuh4NmoiKFQEqRg67JxV93Yl1p0Mgwq8BO2yE8OLO/s400/IMG_1532.jpg)
I'm often thinking about my own multitudes. I hope next time you hear someone talk about "contradictions," or the complexity of humanity, you'll think of Whitman.
4 comments:
This is a beautiful quilt Deborah! I feel like I'm looking at the bowl through a window and seeing the reflections of things from behind in the window as well.
You know I love bowls so this piece is quite lovely.
I think the size and shape are good choices for your style of work.
Bravo!!!!
I love the quote AND the quilt. Great work Deborah!
You know how much I love this, but I'll say it again.... I love this quilt!
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