Deviance

 

My mother died last year. Abused and abandoned in her childhood, my mother refused to discuss any issue concerning her emotional life. After her death, at the bottom of an old drawer, my two sisters and I discovered an old college Anthropology paper she saved, Deviance.

 

"Deviance I learned on the street, and the labeling process, I learned in that jungle called society. I am sorry but there was no way to separate myself from this paper. I was never put behind bars, but I built a wall around myself that no one could penetrate, a wall of hatred, distrust and bitterness"

 

Sadly she didn't overcome her walls. The pain I felt upon hearing her story, finally in her own words, is reflected in this quilt. The Puffins (natures little clowns) are filled with questions wondering why the Mime wears a mask pretending to be happy. My mother was happiest in the islands. Turquoise was her favorite stone and the box reflects the contents of her life.

 

Awards:
Quilt Odyssey 2002 - Honorable mention
Road to California show 2003 - 2nd place Innovative Wall Quilts

 

Techniques:

Hand applique- puffins, rocks, water, face, and hands
Strip pieced blocks- background
Traditional Patterns- variations of Mariner�s Compass
Machine Embroidery- firework extensions
Machine applique- eyebrows, eyes, and mouth
Paper Foundation String Piecing- mime costume and collar
Embellishment- hair and seams of the costume
Machine quilted