The Importance of a Proper Fit

                                     62”h x 35”w 

Constructed from salvaged fabric, commercial fabric, my old jacket and flannel nightgown, with old dress patterns and digitally altered photographs printed on silk. Some words were printed on with textile paint; most were digitally printed on silk, fused and sewn.

Worn, But Not Out     52"H x 47"W    

Inspired by a show, Art of the Ordinary, where I saw layers of repair work  the clothes of Japanese fishermen.

       Apron     51"h x 23”     

   Apron-like garments are recorded back to pre-historic times.

(Treasure) Hunting Jacket         36”H x 27”W  

                  Inspired by African hunting jackets

JANICE’S MOTHER WAS THE  NEIGHBORHOOD SHAMAN                                 67"H x 50”W

 

                   

  Early Work                                   

In ancient Japan, people donated silk kimonos to the monasteries. These would be cut and sewn to make patch-work robes called ‘kesas’. I liked the idea of a community combining used fabrics into one cloth. Over several years, I saved potholders from many different garage sales; I sewed together the protection from many different women. Groups of women often come together to help each other, to provide emotional support. Of course, you must believe in and live by the values of this group. If you outgrow the values of your group, their emotional reinforcement can start to seem rather heavy, like the weighty protection of this armor. 

Domestic Armor 67"h x 46"w

  A Dress for Elizabeth Barber

               51"H x24"W

Elizabeth Barber, author of “Woman’s Work: The First 20,000 Years”, has had a major impact on my thinking about sewing.