LABURNUM LOVE
Patch
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Creator
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Suraiya
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Story
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LABURNUM LOVE
This patchwork piece is dedicated to the memory of my beloved mother, Amma, whose inherent creativity led my siblings and I, to experiment and follow our own creative passions. Our mother always took out the time to pursue hobbies – photography, painting, sewing, sports, gardening, the list goes on. Though it is impossible to capture the entirety of her creative soul, this piece does embody some of her spirit.
I grew up in a family that was committed to living with the firm belief of ‘no-wastage’ in every facet of life. One of the many manifestations of this silently ingrained way of living, led my mother and grandma to save every scrap of clothing from their sewing projects. And I am no different.
Amma could always produce something out of seemingly nothing. By seeing her navigate life, I learnt (amongst many things) that creativity could be expressed as well with ‘left-overs’, as with new things. Astute observation, attention to detail, trusting the process and making the most of what one has, was important and would always yield a meaningful outcome. It was she who taught me how to sew on the very machine (that was originally hers and quite possibly a hand-me-down) which I inherited and have been using for all my patchwork pursuits.
Representing the invisible thread that ties generational ideas and beliefs, this patchwork is a combination of ‘left-overs’ from Amma’s clothes, and the bunches of dangling yellow flowers were her laburnum love. Trees that lined the street, taking us home.
- Parts of this writing are from a previously written piece for a quilting project that I made in memory of my mother.
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Rights Holder
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Suraiya
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Rights
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All rights reserved.