Cynthia J. Litchfield
"Snippets in Mom's Kitchen."
36" h x 31" w.
MATERIALS: Silk-screened and dyed cotton broadcloth, dishtowel, DMC perle cotton.
TEHCNIQUES: Screen-printing, low immersion dyeing, laser printing, embroidery, applique.
I thought about this quilt for a long time. I was going to do something more amusing, even funny. But as I began to think, memories and feelings surfaced about what had happened in my Mother's kitchen. I came from what was quite normal, when I was a child. My father worked and my mother stayed home. Not that my mother didn't work - she did.
She raised five kids and maintained a home. The kitchen which was "hers" was the center of our family. We ate breakfast and evening meals together (all seven of us) in the kitchen. The door that was used to enter the house was the kitchen door. So, triggered by the dish towel title and the memories, I realized some of the big events in my family had happened in the kitchen.
I had two beautiful pieces of fabric that seemed made for each other and the theme of the quilt. They were bright, happy, colors, filled with the sunshine that echoed the strongest feelings associated with my mother's kitchen. I also drew rectangles on the screenprinted fabric, to remind people of the shapes of the doors and windows, again things that had dominated the kitchen.
I then started journaling, remembering all the events that occurred in that area of the house. What I found was some memories, some very strong, some very happy, some sad, that progressed from my childhood to young adulthood. So, I decided to break apart the towel and surround the writing, to communicate something about "My Mothers Kitchen". I burned and broke apart the towel, because I wanted to communicate the feeling that all of that (my family, mom's kitchen) was gone - exploded apart. The "snippets" are the reminder of a time that is past.
So I hope that when you see this quilt, you can experience my sorrow and joy and maybe remember your mom's kitchen.
© 1999 Cynthia J. Litchfield. 1602 N. Columbia
Place, Decatur, GA. 30032. 404-288-7096. wdhcjl@aol.com
Return to Dishtowel Artist List
Turtle Moon Studios
Susan Shie and James Acord
Contact us
| Home | | Classes
| | Gallery | | Green
Quilts | |Links |
| Resume | | Stuff
to Buy | |Turtle Trax Diary |
| Visit Jimmy's Leather Studio
Web site design © Susan Shie and Jan Cabral 1997. All subsequent web site work, ©Susan Shie 1997-2005.
This page updated by Susan Shie, January 30, 2005.
Web site hosting by Key to the Web, Ltd. ©2005.