The troubled skirt is a piece I’m working on for next years exhibition where much of the work and the poetry is inspired by my relationship with my mother who was a dressmaker.
It seemed important to make something in the form of a garment. I found a skirt in my wardrobe. I bundle died it by filling it with stones and hedgerow flowers: ragwort, campion, chicory, sorrel, all found growing along the railway track, then tying it up and boiling it. But I had to stop boiling because the house was filled with a noxious smell, so I left it outside for a week in the sun, the water turned an iron brown. When I untied the bundle the flowers had become a mess of vegetation, the skirt was the colour of tea. I hung it out to dry. I began to think of a poem. I wrote the first draft of a poem Made of Leaf, while the skirt was drying and it was this that inspired me to a final vision of the skirt laid on a sewing machine which I’m working towards.
Its leaves are cut from paper and cloth – both our mediums: hers being textiles, mine words. It was difficult to write directly on, but I wanted to take my pen to it..the poem begins
Made of leaf this dress of awkward things bundled round stone tied with string, in its seams our lives indelibly inked.
Stitched in skin this sleeve of folded wings...
Sounds absolutely fascinating.Love the idea of using wild flowers.
Can’t wait for the exhibition…
GW
Just a lovely post zinging with words and images. Resonant with the strange joys and stresses of the making process. w
Av! Wonderful, I’m so impressed, your work is always so full of emotion and meaning and the work is looking really interesting. I don’t know if you’re experiencing the same, but I found the colour fades rather quickly from my plant dying episodes. Apparently, Alum powder (from the chemist) is a great mordant and gives a wide variety of colours which you don’t otherwise get. Not that I’ve tried it yet. Any way, carry on my dear, you’re a shining beacon of inspiration, can’t wait to see it in the ‘thread’ xxxx
Dear Jan, Wendy and Gillian – thanks for such lovely and encouraging comments – my plant dying definitely didn’t work but I still like the idea that it was wrapped in wild flowers. Alum is clearly the thing to try. I must say it’s really satisfying to work with both words and materials (weather cloth or paper) and to see the cross pollination that occurs- I’m hoping it’s something I can continue with after the exhibition.
Avril x
Fantastic idea, Avril. Took me back to the days when we used to ransack my dad’s ties to dye paste eggs for Easter. What kind of ink are you using to write on the fabric and how will you display the end piece? Would like to know more about your exhibition.
Thanks Judith – I’m just using ordinary ballpoint. I could have printed the words as I have a screen made up but I wanted to write them. I’m also using strands and clots of dark blue wool in the piece to represent ink.
The exhibition is August next year – its been arranged by my sister in law, glass and textile artist, Jan Duyt and is in a Surrey gallery, but we might consider looking for a venue in the North East – if it goes well.