Oheoryis,wemakeourdestinieslikeblindmenchugpaintatawall;weneveruandnorevehemarksweleavebehindus.Butnottoomuchofthegrandlyactalabstractexpressionistaboutmylife,Itrust;oh,no.Ialwaystrytoliveopossibletermswithmyunsciousamyrighthandknowwhatmyleftisdoingand,fresheverym,scrutinisemydreams.Abandon,therefore,orrather,destructtheblind-apaiaphor;takeitapart,formaliseit,putitbacktogetheragain,striveforsomethingatouchmorehard-edged,iional,altogetherlessarty,forIdobelieveweallhavetherighttochoose.

    Inpatchwork,aedhousehlected,obviously,becausemysexexcelledinit--well,thereyouare;thatsthewayitsbeen,isntit?NotthatIhaveanythingagainstfi,miheless,ittookahundredyearsforfiiststocatchupwiththekindofbrilliantabstrathatanyordinaryhousewifeusedtobeabletoputtogetherinonlyayear,fiveyears,tenyears,withoutmakingasonganddanceaboutit.

    However,inpatchwork,aninfinitelyflexibleyetharmoniousoveralldesigintheheadandworkedoutinwhatevermaterialhappenstoturnupintheragbag:partyfrocks,sackcloth,piecesofwedding-dress,ofshroud,ofbandage,dressshirtsetc.Thingsthathavebeenwornoutortorn,remnants,bitsandpiecesleftoverfrommakingblouses.Onemayappliquéupochworkbirds,fruitandflowersthathavebeenclippedoutofglazedtzleftoverfromcarmchairsormakingcurtains,anddoallmahingswiththisandthat.

    Thefinaldesignisindeedmodifiedbytheavailabilityofmaterials;butnot,necessarily,much.

    Forthepaperpatternsfromwhichshesregularreglesandhexagonsofcloth,thethriftyhousewifeoftenusedupoldloveletters.

    atchwork,youmus