Lately I’ve been exploring the nature of the self, mind and body through the feminine mediums of fabric, needlework and sewing- what my mother would call “lapwork”.

This close-to-the-body, labor-intensive handwork gives me comfort during their creation, and enables me to tackle issues of fear and the meaning of personal courage.

Recently I discovered a box of embroidered linen handkerchiefs in the attic. I used them in the 50’s and early 60’s in the breast pocket of my Catholic school uniform. Each one holds memories of a quiet, ordered childhood. The small embroideries of body parts are meant to juxtapose the world of thoughts and feelings with the self we show to the world outside the body.

In the end, these pieces are about defining the self, old vs. new, and my place within the passage of time.