by Lin
Hsin-Chen
I reflect
on why people do not treasure the beauty when flowers bloom, but yearn for it
when they fade away. There is a fragile flower in the work,
as if it will drop off when wind blows. I use filament fabric to appliqué the
poppy. It is very difficult sewing it, just like people embracing a thin feather
of hope when they encounter crisis.
In spring, young shoots bravely emerge from the arid land
under the fallen leaves which has accumulated since winter. The fertile soil nourishes
flowers and makes them bloom speedy. They bloom faster than expected. It makes
the world nervous and afraid of not having the chance to experience “flowers bloom
and fade away”. What happened to our Mother Earth? Is she ill?
I describe it all as poppies. It’s
because we are facing a nearly 9 months of
drought in Taiwan. The situation of water shortage is getting worse. Just like
the life of poppies, under the transient
beauty, they anesthetize themselves instinctively. Waiting patiently for rain and dew descending
from heaven and hoping the crisis will be eased.
I’ve been thinking about how to face the upcoming difficult
situation with greater courage. I reflect on my water-use habits and realize
that I did waste too much water immoderately. I was like wallowing in the
comfortable and safe living condition, but never thinking about the pain of no
water. What a frightening fact.
“Flowers Bloom and Fade Away” is the first work of my theme,
Thinking, for Viewpoints 9-3. It depicts my mood at this moment.
Thank you, Martha, for the challenge.
Materials: hand-dyed
fabrics, hand-dyed satin, commercial cottons, filament fabric, nylon
fiber, Romanian thread
Techniques: hand pieced, hand appliqué, hand quilted
Size: 24”W x 48”H
Beautiful Hsin-Chen! The dimension and folds of the fragile flower is masterful! What a beautiful metaphor for your current thinking.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lisa-Marie. In fact, the fragile flower was not in my first draft. I added it in to interpret the title of work, Flowers Bloom and Fade Away. This work took me a long time to complete, because I had some difficulties finding the suitable materials for making the flower. To sew the filament fabric properly was also a problem. Anyway, it’s a long story but I finally complete it! What I learned from the creative process is beyond my imagination. I’m thankful for the wonderful experience to improve my techniques in hand-sewing.
DeleteGorgeous, I love your treatment of the background also. I was wondering how your chosen theme would be manifest.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sue. I dyed the background. Then, I found commercial cottons of similar color to add the lines. It’s stacked up layer by layer. I enjoy the new sewing technique. Maybe I will apply it in the rest of my quilts in V9-3. I had lots of thinking before and after the creating, and when I was looking for materials and techniques. I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for me to record my thoughts with my needlework and writing.
DeleteSuch a beautiful piece, Hsin-Chen! It was wonderful to see it in person in Portland and to see you and Pei, too! The colors and stitch work are just stunning!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martha! I was excited about having a chance to bring it to the conference and sharing with others. It’s wonderful to see you, Sue, Diane, Betty and Kate in Portland. Hope to see you soon in Taiwan.
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