It all started with the Red Dress Challenge at the International Quilt and Fiber Arts Show in 2024.
I began with a quote from Virginia Woolf (A Room of One’s Own) that came to me when I read about the Red Dress: For we think back through our mothers if we are women. Then I asked my friends for photos of their mothers. I never imagined that almost 30 women would reply. Daughters from across the US, England, the Azores, Denmark and Holland sent photos of moms – a few from their own native countries of Germany, Korea and Spain.
As the images arrived, I built a Photoshop collage that quickly turned into a lively party. Moms lounged. They posed. A few tried to swipe flowers from a wedding bouquet. My own mother served coffee from a samovar, while my mother-in-law raised a beer stein.
Along with the photos came stories I’d never heard – like the mom who accidentally bought a horse! Working with the image of another friend’s mom, I felt a wound dating back to high school heal. In so many images, I could see my friends’ faces in the faces of their moms.
I’m at the age where many of my friends are dealing with the loss of their mothers or helping their moms as they age. As a community, we support each other. This was one way I could honor the women who raised the incredible daughters I have as friends.
- Materials: Digital collage, vintage handkerchief, buttons, trim and appliqués. (Red Dress Challenge kit included red satin and cotton swatches, notions.)
- Techniques: Handstitching, digital collage
- Dimensions: 16.5” w x 13” h
- Exhibitions:
2024 – International Quilt and Fiber Arts Show Red Dress Challenge, Everett, Washington
2024 – Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Art Museum, The Red Dress Exhibition, La Conner, Washington
