Block #36

Creator

Noam Lange

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Creator demographics

42; Nonbinary, Transmasculine; White; Queer

Materials and construction

Cotton fabric scraps, embroidery floss; Both machine and hand sewn

Description from maker

True Self (self-given title); I used the “trans euphoria” title as inspiration to recall a moment that I felt joy in my body. The image came to mind and I tried my best to use fabric to create it; I reached out to a fellow sewer for advice and also sort of winged it as I had not done this type of piecing before.

I thought I could machine baste with clear thread, but needed to go back and hand baste areas that would be prone to fraying. I like accentuating the hand based stitches in places, to emphasize my own stitched together identity; This image is based on the profile photograph my surgeon’s staff took of me about 4 months post op. It was the first photo of my body that made me feel a beaming joy and pride in myself. I framed the image in wood and stitched dried flowers behind me that represent my past which contains hurt along with a different kind of beauty and joy. The blooming and bright bouquet that replaces my face is for the new alive feeling I have living as non-binary, and using the name and pronouns of my choosing.

Visual description

Torso with top surgery scars, and features a patchwork of fabric pieces in various textures and colors, including beige, blue, and pink. The head is replaced by a bouquet with blue and pink blossoms. The background is a rich red, framed by a white border with frayed edges. To the left, there are pink flowers with yellow centers

Date

2023

Dimensions

12.5x12.5

Rights

The Euphoria Quilt

Identifier

TEQ-2024-01-36