In Memoriam: The Wind by Lucy Childs

The In Memoriam books meant to be carried with you, to look at and remember someone (or a pet) who has died. The sewn cross shape suggests a graveyard cross, possibly one from the corner of an old and forgotten cemetery. This series uses the first verse of Maxwell Bodenheim's poem, "To One Dead," written in 1918, and is sewn along and around the pages of the accordions. The poem's poignant but celebratory flavor is reflected in the colors and letterforms used to sew the words. Creating these books came from exploring the history, craft, and culture of early American and British sewing samplers, made mostly by young girls to learn the practical craft of sewing but also to learn letters and spelling. That elements of reading and writing were taught through sewing samplers appealed to me because of my career as a school teacher. Many old and antique samplers included text or images in memory of family members who had died.