The sizes of growing embryos and fetuses are often represented by fruits and vegetables (as in “your baby is now as long as an asparagus”). This work is a half-size scale model of the average size of a growing embryo/fetus each week of pregnancy, visualized as embroidered produce. The size of the work is about 4x5'
Pregnancy is fraught with uncertainty. It is estimated that 20% of all known pregnancies end in miscarriage and that 80% of miscarriages happen before week 12. The apple seed (week 5) may become a watermelon (week 40), or it might not. Regardless of the outcome, women still experience the emotional and physical effects of the process.
Like pregnancy, embroidery is time consuming and demanding. A line that would take 5 seconds in paint takes 5 minutes in thread. Embroidery also shares a long connection to women and women's work. In part because of this connection, embroidery has been historically denigrated as craft rather than art.
Below is the list of weeks with their associated produce:
Week 1-2 Pregnancy is calculated from the first day of the last period, so in weeks one and two, women aren’t actually pregnant yet
Week 3 Chia seed
Week 4 Poppy seed
Week 5 Apple seed
Week 6 Lentil
Week 7 Chickpea
Week 8 Raspberry
Week 9 Olive
Week 10 Prune
Week 11 Fig
Week 12 Plum
Week 13 Lemon
Week 14 Peach
Week 15 Apple
Week 16 Avocado
Week 17 Pear
Week 18 Artichoke
Week 19 Mango
Week 20 Banana
Week 21 Endive
Week 22 Coconut
Week 23 Eggplant
Week 24 Corn
Week 25 Acorn Squash
Week 26 Zucchini
Week 27 Cauliflower
Week 28 Kabocha Squash
Week 29 Butternut Squash
Week 30 Red Cabbage
Week 31 Asparagus
Week 32 Napa Cabbage
Week 33 Celery
Week 34 Cantaloupe
Week 35 Pineapple
Week 36 Romaine Lettuce
Week 37 Swiss Chard
Week 38 Rhubarb
Week 39 Small Pumpkin
Week 40 Watermelon
Pregnancy is fraught with uncertainty. It is estimated that 20% of all known pregnancies end in miscarriage and that 80% of miscarriages happen before week 12. The apple seed (week 5) may become a watermelon (week 40), or it might not. Regardless of the outcome, women still experience the emotional and physical effects of the process.
Like pregnancy, embroidery is time consuming and demanding. A line that would take 5 seconds in paint takes 5 minutes in thread. Embroidery also shares a long connection to women and women's work. In part because of this connection, embroidery has been historically denigrated as craft rather than art.
Below is the list of weeks with their associated produce:
Week 1-2 Pregnancy is calculated from the first day of the last period, so in weeks one and two, women aren’t actually pregnant yet
Week 3 Chia seed
Week 4 Poppy seed
Week 5 Apple seed
Week 6 Lentil
Week 7 Chickpea
Week 8 Raspberry
Week 9 Olive
Week 10 Prune
Week 11 Fig
Week 12 Plum
Week 13 Lemon
Week 14 Peach
Week 15 Apple
Week 16 Avocado
Week 17 Pear
Week 18 Artichoke
Week 19 Mango
Week 20 Banana
Week 21 Endive
Week 22 Coconut
Week 23 Eggplant
Week 24 Corn
Week 25 Acorn Squash
Week 26 Zucchini
Week 27 Cauliflower
Week 28 Kabocha Squash
Week 29 Butternut Squash
Week 30 Red Cabbage
Week 31 Asparagus
Week 32 Napa Cabbage
Week 33 Celery
Week 34 Cantaloupe
Week 35 Pineapple
Week 36 Romaine Lettuce
Week 37 Swiss Chard
Week 38 Rhubarb
Week 39 Small Pumpkin
Week 40 Watermelon
