13.5" square
This week’s Journal Quilt was inspired (surprise, surprise) by a recent mammogram. It is black fabric that was reverse-tie-dyed (using Clorox Bleach) and then reverse-appliqued onto muslin. I stitched mohair onto the surface to resemble the ghost-like tissue visible on the x-ray. With Heat Bond, I fused the circles and arcs, to represent the markers inserted by the radiologist. I also fused some brown/black rayon on the surface to capture the irregularity of the tissue being screened.
The main fabric lesson here is not to waste time working the surface of cheap fabric. This is the black cotton I buy from Joann’s for a lot of my bindings — it does not press well, it does not take a seam well, and as it turns out, it doesn’t bleach all that well, either.
The actual x-ray was much simpler and more delicate.
And yes, I learned, after two sets of pictures and an ultra-sound, that I am fine.
I LOVE this. I’m an art therapist who works in a hospital, and I wish my patients would be more interested in recreating their scans and anatomies. In spite of your (understandable) frustration with the fabric, from an outsiders perspective, this turned out wonderfully.
Have you seen Becky Stern’s plush knee? She did it after her surgery based on images from the scope. So awesome.
http://sternlab.org/2009/03/plush-knee/
Thanks Mal! It WAS cathartic, somehow, and I can imagine wanting your patients to try it out, but I also realized as I lay there having the ultrasound done, that if the results were terrible, I’m not sure HOW I’d work with the images to capture my grief and terror…. I’ll look up a quilter who did a breast cancer series later and post her site if I can track her down — they were amazing pieces.
The plush knee was a little weird, but interesting and probably, for the creator, even more interesting. I liked her Vicoden earrings, too.
Boy did I get nervous reading your blog today. I was SO glad to read the end of the story!!
-Susie
Thanks Susie! It was tense waiting in between all those image sessions and made me feel for all those women who would be getting bad news that day (or any day)…
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