Karol Kusmaul

We’ve been given a prompt about media as it relates to our community.  At first I thought back to the past, and remembered how my mother would spend time on the old corded wall telephone in the kitchen, talking with neighbors or family members.  She would doodle designs on a pad while she was chatting. 

Eventually I came upon the idea of the way that Cloth in Common members communicate.  Because we all live so far away from one another, we rely on emails, Facebook, Instagram, and Zoom.  These are all ways we can get to know one another better, and stay in touch.  It has been challenging to meet by Zoom, as we are in many different time zones.  It may be very late at night for some members, and extremely early in the day for others. 

I made twelve tiny portraits to represent the members of Cloth in Common.  I thread basted the tiny parts, then covered them with tulle and machine stitched close lines of quilting to hold everything in place.  This represents my laptop computer, lifted by a cigar box, where I get to come together with my international friends. 

Coming Together

36 by 40”

Raw edge hand applique, machine quilting