Gravestone Rubbings for Fabric Art
January 3, 2009 by Mary Emma Allen
Filed under Home & Living
The Uncommon Quilter
As I browsed through one of the books my daughter received for Christmas, The Uncommon Quilter (Small Art Quilts Created with Paper, Plastic, Fiber, and Surface Design) by Jeanne Williamson I was intrigued by some involving rubbings.
One is very simple and can be done quickly at home. It involves crayon rubbing, which my daughter has tried successfully for interesting projects.
Then Jeanne introduces one called “Cemetery Visit,” in which she uses an actual gravestone rubbing on fabric, as well as a photo of the stone (p. 104-105). You could expand upon something like this for a larger quilt, a memory quilt of a particular person. Think of all the family history you could incorporate.
Also, with a bed sized quilt or large hanging, you might include rubbings from a number of family stones. Simily let your imagination run wild and creatively!
(Incidentally, Jeanne Williamson is the quilter who made a journal quilt a week for seven years, for a total of 365 pieces.)
(Amazon image)
Wow, what an unusual, yet brilliant idea.
I’ve done grave rubbings of ancestors, but never thought to transfer them to fabric. Thanks for a great idea!
Some of the cemeteries don’t allow rubbings anymore, but it’s good to know that photos could be transferred too! Thanks for the great idea