Ada’s Ironing Board

Found object & stitched textile, 65 x 75 x 10 cm, Private Collection

I have cut my thumb badly and had to iron after. It was very painful. The heat of the iron made it hurt very bad.

Doing the ironing also proved to be a challenge for Ada Lightfoot, especially when she had cut her thumb. There was no electricity, so the irons had to be put into the fire to heat, making the handle very hot.

For this piece, I used a vintage child’s ironing board, a small cast iron, and a piece of vintage textile to tell Ada’s story. I embroidered Ada’s words onto the textile to bear witness to her pain and suffering.

Detail