Bodil's Patchwork Pictures

Something useful?

I have been making patchwork pictures since the beginning of the 80's. I started originally with ceramics, but partly because I missed the colours and partly because it was rather more acceptable to sit at the living room table and sew - nobody could see whether it was anything useful - I began making patchwork.

First exhibitions

In the beginning I didn't take it seriously, just sewed for the fun of it, didn't show it to anyone. Then - at a time when I had between 20 and 30 pictures - a good friend discovered them and this lead to a series of exhibitions.

Most of them have a sewing machine . . .

My hope is that by exhibiting I can give other women courage to exploit their own creativity. Most of them have a sewing machine and some remnants of material - no need to invest in expensive gear.

The art of survival

For me it is 'the art of survival'. Without my pictures I would go to pieces in the monotony of everyday life. Material is bought at flea markets or it arrives as gifts. Faded, well-used cottons are fascinating and nice to work with.

How I go about it

Most of the pictures have a purpose and have been months in the making. I never draw them but plan them thoroughly in my head before cutting out and fastening with pins. Then follow days or maybe weeks where I move colours and figures around before I begin to sew. Often it takes a long time from the first idea of a picture until I get started on it. It can be difficult to find the proper material in the right colour.

Is it art?

I have not had any artistic training and was brought up to be the practical one in a creative family, which needed to get the washing-up done. Are my pictures art or not? The question is frequently asked. For me, it doesn't matter what they are. I make them for my own sake, hoping all the same that you will also like them.

---

Juried exhibitions

SAQA Europe: Wide Horizons'08, Carrefour Européen du Patchwork, Stretching Threads Across Florida 2008, From the Heart, World Quilt and Textile on Tour XI 2007-2008, Hands All Around XXIII 2007-2008, The Sky's the Limit 2007, World Quilt and Textile on Tour XI, Berlin-Brandenburg Patchwork Treff 2007, Hands All Around XXII & XXIII, The Festival of Quilts 2006, Quilt Expo X, Husqvarna Viking Gallery of Quilt Art, New England Quilt Museum, Post Picasso, Art Quilts X

Exhibitions outside Denmark

The Nordic House, Thorshavn, Faeroe Islands. Ruthin Craftcenter, Wales, UK. Gallery Oriel, Welshpool, UK.

Exhibitions in Denmark

I have exhibited in museums, galleries, town halls, colleges, libraries, businesses, cultural and educational centres, parish halls and community centres.

Workshops

I give workshops on the sewing techniques and methods I use.