The World is Here with Me, 2020

This memory cushion embodies many things: it represents me, my tiny garden, and many loved ones. Making it took me on myriad fun excursions in my mind.

I made this memory cushion in my Fine Art course in 2020 in response to Covid and during the first UK lockdown. With friends and family all over the world and no ability to visit or be visited, this cushion ended up representing them, in the form of my garden.

As I looked through my stash of fabrics, I smiled. Each fabric brought a memory. I can remember when I chose and sewed them, or when I wore an item of clothing.

My flowers are made from:

• A beloved shirt bought when I lived in Colorado in the early 2000’s – memories of a stunning part of the world, great friends and a floral fabric with gold sparkles that I couldn’t bear to throw away when it literally fell apart.

• My favourite Liberty print – Hera design – brings my mother close to me, our shared love of Liberty fabrics and her teaching me to sew.

• A cartoon dinosaur design – leftover from making a light shade for my son’s room in 2013.

• Map fabric – curtain remnants rekindling many travel adventures around the world, friends met along the way, my home, family and friends in Australia.

• Fabric from other craft projects: handbags, lightshades, clothing, curtains, cushions – some of which are in my house and others I have given as gifts.

• Centre buttons saved from many different projects.

My cushion base is made from a luscious green velvet, leftover from kitchen bench cushions.

And this memory cushion made me feel that the world was here with me, hugging me tight, even though I was stuck at home.