Habits creep up and embed themselves in our lives. Sometimes, we don’t even notice them until someone else points out to us that we have a habit. It may be an annoying speech habit (in Australia, kids say “like” every second word as a filler whereas in “my day” my mother always corrected me for “UUmmm’ and “ahhh” and “what”.) Or, it could be slouching, biting fingernails, drumming the table, fiddling….. the list goes on.

Whilst these are more mannerisms or expressions of inner feelings that manifest from time to time, there are many habits that we acquire and live with all our lives. Many of these are positive or neutral and don’t annoy others so we keep them. Brushing our teeth, making the bed, tidying our sewing rooms regularly. Indeed, some habits are necessary for harmonious communal life. On the contrary side, we all know how annoying it is to live with someone who drinks the milk straight out of the carton or leaves the toilet seat UP!

In Musings on this topic, I discussed how habits can become so embedded in our culture that they can become a tradition and the preferred and accepted way to act or think. I used the example of traditional fabrics such as tartan as an illustration of this. Indeed, all types of traditional fabrics and clothing are fascinating to use and study. Fabric artists often use items that are made of African mudcloth, Batiks, Japanese Sashiko and Tie-dye, beaded leather, woven blankets and indigenous fabrics with traditional patterns. The list goes on and there are applications in every culture. I think this is one reason we see the early English and French application of the word Habit to mean a suit of clothing.

I go to local and statewide and national quilt meetings, workshops and conventions. It always strikes me, when I am attending these events, that many attendees customise their clothing to declare their style, exhibit their skill and present their credentials. The clothing becomes a membership card for the club, and it is saying to everyone there, “I am a member of this club, I like what you like, we have things in common, we are a tribe. Please come and make friends with me.”

My piece for the prompt Change of Habits is entitled Coffee Break at the Quilt Convention. It features a tartan carpet in a convention centre public space with a group of figures, showing their plumage. The figures are offcuts from another quilt with various patterns and designs, some bits copied from one to the next. They represent the people attending with their varied, colourful and beautiful clothing. It is different, personalised and Out There. The figures sidle up to each other, lean in and begin to chat and make friends, attracted to the similarities and sometimes the differences between them, discussing the shared experience, admiring each other’s work.

As is my habit, I have used many pieces of different fabrics, many of them from Thift shops, gifted scraps and second hand, repurposed pieces. I also like that the figures in silhouette present the tartan carpet as the negative space within the piece itself.

Completed: March 2024

Dimensions: 39″ H X 29″ W

Materials: Commercial printed cottons, salvaged satin, thrifted silk ties, velvet, wool, commercial threads.

Techniques: Iron-on, raw edge applique, collaged quilted offcuts.