“For every child that was denied their mother’s love, and for every mother who was denied the love of her child”.
My project, Cuimhneas, was inspired by the book Belonging by Catherine Corless and Naomi Linehan. Additionally, I have been inspired by my familial relationship with Mother and Baby Homes. I have focused on the loveless childhoods of 'the Home Babies'. Conveyed through the themes of mending and nurture, I have designed a collection of healing textiles influenced by the baby blankets the children were buried in. I aim to create textiles that can bring comfort to victims of similar depravity.
In my practice, I am interested in the significance of cloth, both emotionally and historically and choose concepts I have an emotional connection to. I like to adapt classic weaving, knitting and natural dying techniques to tell the story of the concept. Each sample tells the story of an individual survivor.
![Concept board for *Cuimhneas* (memory).](https://2023.ncad.works/media/pages/graduates/eva-kerley/5dc8c04b8d-1684754093/1-concept6-1500x-q90.png)
Concept board for Cuimhneas (memory).
![*Swaddle (Peter’s)*, blanket, honeycomb, silk warp, mohair weft](https://2023.ncad.works/media/pages/graduates/eva-kerley/7c974eae20-1684754093/2-img-5079-1500x-q90.jpg)
Swaddle (Peter’s), blanket, honeycomb, silk warp, mohair weft
![*Dove (Martin's blanket)*, feather filled knit, alpaca yarn](https://2023.ncad.works/media/pages/graduates/eva-kerley/386de43c95-1684754093/3-img-5168-1500x-q90.jpg)
Dove (Martin's blanket), feather filled knit, alpaca yarn
![*Blue Shoes*, indigo dyed knit, visible mending, merino wool](https://2023.ncad.works/media/pages/graduates/eva-kerley/9674b6e864-1684754093/4-img-5030-1500x-q90.jpg)
Blue Shoes, indigo dyed knit, visible mending, merino wool
![*Comfort (Michael’s blanket)*, warp floats and cut weft floats, linen, cashmere, lambswool & cotton](https://2023.ncad.works/media/pages/graduates/eva-kerley/8cc767bb06-1684754093/5-img-4859-1500x-q90.jpg)
Comfort (Michael’s blanket), warp floats and cut weft floats, linen, cashmere, lambswool & cotton
![*Mother (PJ’s blanket),* blocks of plain weave and mock Leno, fluffy silk weft, mohair warp](https://2023.ncad.works/media/pages/graduates/eva-kerley/43bae92265-1684754093/6-img-5943-1500x-q90.jpg)
Mother (PJ’s blanket), blocks of plain weave and mock Leno, fluffy silk weft, mohair warp
![*Healing (Anne’s design)*, laddered knit filled with waste yarn, merino wool](https://2023.ncad.works/media/pages/graduates/eva-kerley/2acd1bad03-1684754094/7-img-6016-1500x-q90.jpg)
Healing (Anne’s design), laddered knit filled with waste yarn, merino wool
![*Family ties (Nora’s blanket),* distorted weft weave, avocado dyed feather yarns, cotton/lambswool warp](https://2023.ncad.works/media/pages/graduates/eva-kerley/189b733166-1684754094/8-img-5965-1500x-q90.jpg)
Family ties (Nora’s blanket), distorted weft weave, avocado dyed feather yarns, cotton/lambswool warp
![*Love (Julia’s blanket)*, Mock Leno, mohair warp and weft](https://2023.ncad.works/media/pages/graduates/eva-kerley/094ff5de1a-1684754094/9-img-4954-1500x-q90.jpg)
Love (Julia’s blanket), Mock Leno, mohair warp and weft
![*Moral Fibre (Catherine’s blanket)*, logwood dyed knit, filled with beans, merino wool](https://2023.ncad.works/media/pages/graduates/eva-kerley/ff78880898-1684754094/10-img-6046-1500x-q90.jpg)
Moral Fibre (Catherine’s blanket), logwood dyed knit, filled with beans, merino wool