What Makes an Heirloom?

What Makes an Heirloom?

When does a quilt, or anything else, become and heirloom?

Recently I passed along this double wedding ring quilt that I made 30 years ago in the first year of my marriage to a couple just starting out in theirs.

It never had a label before, but the one I added said it was made with love and patience and persistence.  And it occurred to me that I meant the quilt and the marriage both.

Finally Finished

Finally Finished

This one has been with me for a long time as a work in progress, but it ‘s been a pretty continuous companion.  I’ve written before about how it started, in a workshop with Carolina Oneto on Curves and Transparencies as a single little block.  Then it grew to a sashed twelve block grid.  Then some machine stitching in the sashes.  Then the big stitch/slow stitch urge just cam eover me.  Each color has a different stitch pattern, so now that I’m finished, the design on the backside is pretty interesting too.  Emma Freeman introduced me to the term “contemplation cloth”, and I think that’s what this has turned out to be.  Amazing to think about all of the places I’ve stitched it, all the feelings I was feeling as I did.  The technique is far from perfect, but the hand of the maker is certainly evident.  Very satisfying finish.

Thankful Thursday – Carolina Oneto

Thankful Thursday – Carolina Oneto

Keeping myself in gratitude, I’m sharing #thankfulthursday posts on Instagram highlighting the generous teachers who have inspired me and upskilled me in pursuit of my #passionsandpastimes. Today, thank you to @carolina_oneto for her help with curves, color transparencies in quilts, and modern paper piecing. Don’t judge her talent by my photos – mine are the work of a student, hers are the work of an artist, check them out.

This piece started with a workshop block exploring creating transparency effects and learning modern paper piecing techniques.  Then, it grew to more blocks.  And now, apparently I will be big stitching the whole thing, forever, because I’m loving how it feels and the designs showing up on the back, and the meditation of it all.  This link will show a quick video how it has been evolving

 

AAH, August

AAH, August

Well, I sort of stayed home in August.  One quick day trip from Chicago over to Grand Rapids to attend a quilt exhibit and show.  Great inspiration pieces and a great opportunity to do a little exhibit hall shopping as usual.

This was the unexpected bonus – it was a beautiful day for driving.  I live in a city so I don’t drive much, and when I do it’s usually in the passenger seat with the boyfriend/husband, and it’s usually a lot of fun.  But this time, I was in the driver’s seat, and it was just what I needed.  My NPR time, my music, and I surprised myself with how much I really needed to sing and shout out loud where no one could hear me (not recommended when you live in a high rise!)  Simple pleasures.

A Map of March

A Map of March

The picture I chose of March is a sampler piece I completed during an on-line workshop with Valerie Goodwin, a quilt artist.  The workshop is called Map Haiku, and the pieces are abstract representations of places, real or imagined, rendered in transparent inked layers of silk organza and hand stitching.

Mapping seemed particularly apt this month what with all of the internal excavations I’ve been doing during my Artist Way program, my morning pages, and my Arthur Brooks reading.  Turns out there are a lot of nooks and crannies in my mind and soul, and even some newly discovered territory.