The Last Call

Ravens are portends of doom and death. I wanted to bring this symbolism to artistic life in fabric.

Lightning flashes in the distance as Jacques, the steampunk-enhanced raven, caws out a warning to passersby. He’s perched on a weathered, poorly-carved sign which hangs outside a run-down bar. The seedy setting, creepy low light, and dramatic three-point perspective give the viewer a feeling that “bad things are coming”.

Despite the unsettling vibe, Jacques himself is sleek and well-kept, and he sports a polished metal wing. Someone out there clearly cares about him. It’s a peculiar juxtaposition between a treasured raven and the sense of impending doom he is foreshadowing.

The illustration is told through fabric, but there are other techniques used to enhance the story. For example, echoing lines of consecutive thread make the lightning reverberate. Overall stitching adds texture to the rest of the scene. And four layers of tulle precisely cut to-shape form the raven’s shadow.

See behind-the-scenes photos from the creation of this quilt here.