Tree of Life
24.5 x 17 inches (62 x 43cm)
Cottons and San Blass appliqued mola, machine pieced, hand appliqued and quilted.
2005
 
 
Elephants are a symbol of longevity in many cultures though they are not native to Panama so I am not sure from where the influence came for this San Blas mola. I liked the idea of combining the piece with a modified 'Tree of Life' patchwork pattern and was really happy when I came across 'Puzzle Play' as a basis for the bottom of this piece. The piecing was complicated by the small size of the triangular shapes but the elephant was the determiner of scale here. I did remove most of the embroidery from the surface of the original mola to make the white form stronger within the composition. As usual for most of my work, the fabric is all from the sewing scraps and old clothes in my stash.
Photo by Carlos Tobon See Back