quilting well is the best revenge

here is stage 1 of a small quilt that is part of my right of reply.

over the last couple of weeks my ex-lover has thrown me over twice and my father has died. i had a problematic relationship with my father and i thought my ex-lover was the second love of my life so my feelings of grief, abandonment and ambivalence have become confused and entwined. but with both of these life shattering events i have felt i have had no right of reply - no opportunity to put my side of the story, to have any influence over the way these two men have affected my life and i have had no advocate.

so i am writing a piece in my journal called no right of reply (which i won't put on my blog) and i am making some art quilts which i will put on my blog.

this quilt is small (roughly A4 size) and is made of a black wool base, purple shantung, a piece of freeform knitting (can't find the ball band but is is cotton or silk and viscose) which represents my heart, and black organza with free motion quilting holding it together and then zapped with the blowtorch. (i only seem to make burnt quilts when it's a gazillion degrees - see previous post for some carping on the weather)

in one of his email manifestos my ex lover declared that he had to make a choice whether or not to break my heart - this quilt is a reply that my heart may be stretched, have holes in it, be rent and attacked but it is not broken. who was it who said that the heart was a resilient little muscle?

i think there is some potential to do some hand stitching - especially around the claws part which needs more definition and perhaps some foiling or beading.

will keep you posted and i will keep the aspidistra flying