It's Not Just About The Numbers

Number 7 of my ANZAC series of quilts is now finished. I ended up painting, with brush and Tsukineko ink, the words and numbers. I did try stamping but it was too fiddly and not clean enough. The biggest worry was spilling or dropping ink into unwanted areas, but I was patient and careful and am pleased with the result.
I also painted the background fabric and over-painted the backing (I also used it as the binding).
This banner is very simply quilted so that your eye follows across the lines to the numbers.

On the right hand side I have quilted a Maori motif over the words (this is the backing which shows the quilting better):

 Here is what I wrote for the label:

"The statistics for this Roll of Honour for the 1^st New Zealand Expeditionary Force (1914 – 1918) came from the book Some records of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, by Lt. Col. J Studholme (Wellington, Govt. Printer, 1928).

The numbers are of deaths only of N.Z.E.F. while on active service.

They include:   Officers

                        Other Ranks

                        Those killed in action

                        Those who died of wounds

                        Those who died of sickness

                        Those who died from other causes

Total: 16,697

Those who died after discharge (up to 31^st December 1923):  964

Those who died while under training in New Zealand: 505

Let us never forget. May they rest in peace."

It measures  105cm x 56cm.