Fiberworks - A Celebration of South African
Fiber and Textile Artists

Title: Grahamstown — Makhanda

Description: This work is based on a physical map of Grahamstown/Makhanda and depicts the layout of the town and its landmarks, more or less to scale. The idea is to portray the old and new aspects of the town. A key has been used to indicate schools, hospitals, churches, museums, and the university — an integral part of the town's colonial heritage. Contrasting with this is the urban sprawl and dense housing on the outer edges of the original town. The public buildings and the sprawling township at the edge of the town are machine stitched, while the parks and still wild areas are stitched by hand, using seed stitch and various colours and weights of thread.

Title: Bodhi Tree

Description: The tree, the Buddha figure and the foliage are appliquéd onto a pre-existing quilt, originally called Loose Threads. This was made in 2013 from a vintage silk sari. Ten years later it became the background for the Bodhi tree. The appliqué was done by hand and the Buddha figure and the leaves on the tree are from the same metallic fabric. Hand-dyed gauze was used to extend the tree’s canopy.

Title: Euphorbia #1

Description: In 2015 the background to this and its sister work Euphorbia #2 were made as forest scenes and were called Wet Forest and Dry Forest. Eight years later the forest scenes were used as backdrops for a representation of an ancient-looking, rather scruffy tree called Euphorbia triangularis. Euphorbia #1 is more or less true to the natural colours of the tree. The trunk, branches and foliage are machine appliquéd onto the pre-existing quilt.

Title: Euphorbia #2

Description: White was used for the sister tree to adumbrate the ghostly aura of these trees in the wild, where they grow in dense thickets.The foliage is fashioned from strips of white taffeta and white patterned Shwe-Shwe (African fabric).

Title: Wedding Dress (recto)

Description: This work is a statement about recycling and renewal, mediation and memory, nostalgia and nurture. The front section of an original wedding dress was unpicked and appliquéd onto a quilted indigo cloth background. The dress is both hand and machine stitched onto the backdrop. The embroidery on the bodice was hand stitched with silk thread 40 years ago.

Title: Wedding Dress (verso)

Description: This companion piece showcases the reverse side of the wedding dress. It is also appliquéd onto a quilted indigo background.

Mariss Stevens







Website:- https://marissthequilter.wordpress.com