The collection of salvaged, tarnished tablecloths and napkins from Lucie’s mother tells stories from her family. The many stains are markers of time, interaction and intimacy. Each textile has been given a focus, forming a compilation of private memories. Their moods are embedded in the cloth, available to be unfolded and relived when desired.
In this work Lucie is using up all threads from her mother’s embroidery tin. The remnants are kept in a preserving jar.
(work in progress since 2023)
Chapter 1: Still here Mum
Here, it is still
Still, you are here
This napkin holds stitches that fill the negative space around the word ‘still’, encapsulating two almost identical dot-shaped stains. Special were the times that Lucie and her mother made textile work together.
Chapter 2: Good Times
In honour of our parents, doing their best to make memorable moments as a family. Treasured recollections of our early life together.
Chapter 3: Silent Conversation
Many family meals have been shared on this tablecloth. Stitches are travelling across the cloth, like a conversation, while pausing around the stains.
On her mother’s 90th birthday, the table was adorned with this colourful cloth, and new spills were intentionally created, to bridge the past with the present. Exactly one week after her special celebration, Lucie’s mother passed away.
(this piece has been nominated ‘Highly Commended’ at the Moreton Bay Art Prize 2025 and was winner of the Fibre Arts Take Two ‘Time Well Spent’ online competition & exhibition)
Chapter 4: Generations
The oxidation stains on this small cloth are a testament to years of storage. Surrounding these marks is the family narrative of Lucie’s mother, starting in 1853. Both the stains and the portrayal of this family are reflecting the passage of time.
Chapter 5: Family Lines
A horizontal and vertical line has been stitched onto this cloth, echoing the existing decoratively woven grid. The lines connect, separate and break, resembling the family dynamic in which Lucie grew up.
Images by Jon Linkins, Printroom Editions