Wednesday 6 April 2016

Silent Scream

I've been working on another quilt, a mini this time.  I didn't show you any progress photos as it just kind of happened one day!  I used the book Word Play Quilts by Tonya Ricucci which gives the basic technique of making improv letters.  I thought this would take a long time and thought that I'd try to make a word a week.  

I made all the words in 2 hours and took another 2 hours to put them together into a finished 30 x 30" quilt top.



I have just realised, looking at this picture, that this isn't a picture of the full quilt top!  There is a scrappy aqua border all round it and the name of the songwriter embroidered on a scrap of aqua.  Ah well, never mind!

The song is Broken Strings by James Morrison featuring Nelly Futardo.  I know it's a love song, but to me, this line is about depression.  This is what depression feels like to me.  I've called it silent scream as that phrase also sums up this horrible illness as far as I'm concerned.  Maybe those who have experienced the pain of depression understand what I mean, maybe not as everyone is different.

The background is a mixture of aqua scraps, which didn't start their lives as scraps, I had to hack into FQs as I found a grand total of 10 aqua scraps in my scraps bin!  The words are in various Kona cottons, one colour for each word.

I have since started the quilting by echoing just outside each letter in a variegated aqua/blue thread.  I plan to FMQ the rest, though I'm not sure how, I'm wondering about small spirals.


The backing fabric is a cheap cotton from Fabric land.  I intend this to be hung on the wall.  I may wash it when it's done, but I don't intend to wash it regularly so didn't mind using an inexpensive backing.

11 comments:

Rachel said...

Yes, I understand. It's certainly one of the manifestations.

Christine B said...

I love your quilt Wendy and I can understand the feelings behind it! Silent scream is a great name for it! Christine x

Oops-Lah said...

Wow, you did well, the whole quilt pieced in four hours. The letters look great and the saying is thought provoking. I don't know that song, but somehow I also thought about depression when I read it. Although I've never suffered from it personally it's how I'm imagining how one would feel.

Sandra :) said...

{{{{{Wendy}}}}}

Jane said...

understand perfectly. Isn't it lovely when projects come together quickly like that, enjoy quilting it

margaret said...

you have done a good job here and hopefully putting into words how you sometimes feel will help, I think there are more of us who get depressed than realised and yes it is a silent scream, people do not want to know or listen life can be tough but together we will overcome it

Melody said...

I understand too, my son went through a terrible period of bullying which resulted in severe depression. It's why I have no time for bullies. Sending you hugs.

Flickenstichlerin said...

It's a long way from just having a heavy heart to depression, and a long way back, even longer way to happiness.
Greetings,
Sylvia

Sarah in Stitches said...

It looks lovely! Can't wait to see it finished :D

Magpie Sue said...

Silent Scream is a perfect title for this piece. Unfortunately, we're intimately acquainted with depression around here. I'm amazed that you managed all those letters in so short a time. I've tried that technique but found it too fussy for my taste. In fact, I was the one who made the word 'play' on the cover of the book! (I'd almost forgotten about that!)

pennydog said...

Are you going to enter it into a quilt show? I think you should. I'm impressed at how quickly it came together as I'm making words for a bee and it's taking about 2 hours per word! Do we have Fabricland in the UK? There's Fabricland here too but I can't be bothered to get membership to shop there!