Judy Elsley

Journal Quilts: The Micro Series

 

In November 2011, before my diagnosis, I decided to make one 8" x 8" block of my hand- dyed fabric every day, and then write on it – a fabric journal.  It was a way to prepare for my upcoming sabbatical by getting into the daily routine of doing cloth work.  With my breast cancer diagnosis, the daily squares became a way to document what was happening to me. There are nine journal quilts in all, adding up to 360 days, almost one year. Each completed quilt is 5 blocks across, 8 rows down, 40 total blocks, a metaphorical reference to 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness.

 

These nine quilts tell the story of 360 days, one year, from diagnosis to healing.