Aunt Gobnait’s ‘Parcels from America’
Ester Kiely has so much to give, so many stories to tell, and such a deep knowledge and love of her art that I’d have to write a book to give you the full value of the afternoon we spent chatting. Sitting in her sunny conservatory, she talked about how she became a fabric artist without even realising it.
“I had a big fascination with ripping things up so that I could make stuff. If it was a rainy day, I’d ask my mother if I could have an old shirt or dress, so that I could rip it up and make something. My aunt Gobnait emigrated to America and used to send parcels of clothing. When they came, we were always fascinated because some of them were wildly colourful compared to what was here. Sometimes she would send us something we absolutely loved and other times, we would say: ‘What’s here now? You couldn’t wear this in Cork. You’d be laughed at!” Having someone in America was very exotic and exciting and when she came home she would bring me embroidery threads or patterns. I would get her to sit and show me how to do stuff, and with the items that were left hanging in the wardrobe, I would make things for the dolls or cushion covers.
“In later years, when she retired from America, she had a little house here, so I made her a quilt as a house warming gift. I called it “Parcels from America” and she asked me what that was about. I reminded her of all the parcels she’d sent over the years and how we appreciated them – and she’d forgotten all about it! She died last year and I inherited her sewing box – which is falling apart – but inside it are loads of sewing notions which are very nostalgic for me. I found maybe thirty cards of silk threads in different skin tones that she would have used to mend tights and stockings. Some of the things she had in there are so American and so typical of her. She used to do lots of embroidering and crocheting and used to make blankets for every baby that was born, so the box is full of all those memories.
“I used to make functional items like quilts or cushion covers as a hobby before I started to make wall hangings. They were layered, abstract designs, but then I started to weave a story through it, stitching text into the background. I made one called “Recleansing” about good feelings such as love and had hints of text, so that you could read some of the words, but not all of them. The lady who bought the piece said it was like I was writing about her. It really meant something to her and from there I started to do more storytelling.
“It was in the 1990s when my husband Ray gave me a book on patchwork and I realised: “Oh, people aren’t just sewing squares together, they’re designing the pattern and co-ordinating the colours, not just cutting up their old shirts. They’re actually buying the fabrics specifically. There are tools and techniques and classes out there.” My mind was blown with this notion.”
Ester joined the Patchwork Society in Dublin and signed up for a beginners’ workshop. Fellow students were surprised – “You’ve been sewing for years, we’ve seen some of your work. Why are you here?” Ester replied that she’d been sewing for years without actually knowing how to, never having been taught the rules on how to construct a quilt properly. “I learned a whole pile at that class. I teach classes now and you can get very intimidated by techniques although there’s a lot of value in doing workshops. Even though I was happy to break the rules myself, one of the things they say in patchwork making is always use 100 per cent cotton. I can see why for patchwork quilts, they wash better and they age better, but some of the wall hangings I make I mix various fabrics for variety. When it comes to a patchwork exhibition they may not be accepted because they don’t fit the rules. It doesn’t bother me. I didn’t make them to fit the rules, I made them because I like the colour, texture and composition of them. I can appreciate the tradition and technique, but I don’t feel confined to having to do that.”
Recently, Ester took an art course with Jim Kavanagh in Annaghdown. “I felt I needed to improve my skill at drawing and at seeing things, particularly with some of the story cuts I am doing now. I want to be able to sketch, and to use the needle and thread to draw and paint a picture. Sometimes you need to be able to compose properly as a drawing first, to understand what you are seeing. We started every project with a charcoal drawing, which helped in understanding where the shadow, the light, and the depth is; how to get that three dimensional feeling where something is coming out towards you or receding back. I also did an acrylic under painting and an oil painting on top, in most projects we tackled. I learned about layering colour and how one colour reacts with another.”
With fabric art techniques, as with all art, the learning curve is constant. Ester talked about hers: “When I came across soluble fabric, it was a revelation! I thought: “Look at all the things I can do with that – like applying a heat gun. Different fabrics crinkle and burn in different ways depending on their composition.” She grinned and went on: “I’m an expert at burning fabrics! I burn them with candles, in a well-ventilated room and with a damp cloth nearby in case it catches fire, holding the edge of the fabric up to the candle. If you burn a natural fabric, it literally burns or scorches; if you burn silk you get a lovely charcoal-burned edge; if you put a flame to synthetic, it melts because it’s essentially plastic and, depending on the composition of the fabric, it will either melt and go hard – or it will just melt and almost disappear. I don’t really put the candle on synthetic, I put it on natural fabrics; then I would use a heat gun, which is like a hairdryer, but with more concentrated heat. If you point that at a synthetic fabric, it starts to bubble and crinkle, which will give you a watery effect. If you hold it far away, you get a gentle ripple, if you hold it close, you get a more exaggerated ripple. I also use the tip of a soldering iron on synthetic fabrics, sometime to write text – and it sort of burns away. It’s unpredictable, but you have happy accidents. You go at it, and you might get a nice formed letter, and then it burns the tail away. It’s a mark making tool and how you choose to make your mark is up to you.”
Mobile 087 6193870
artist
