a quilt study

A study of the land through the creation of a quilt.

Being out on the land gives me a child-like sense of awe and wonder. There are so many nooks and crannies to explore, many unknowns, and secrets of the place to discover. The land holds so much mystery and joy. When I walk into my back field it really feels like magic. I’m learning about the trees and the grasses, the red squirrels, and the birds that inhabit it. There is so much the land can teach us.

a quilt study, using materials grown on the land, is a study of the land as I move through an exploration and knowing process. Much of what will be visually explored in the quilt will be from my own documentation of the land throughout the seasons, and my lived experience on it, but I’ll also be using the local library and historical society as a resource.

The fabric of the quilt will be dyed with plants grown and harvested on the land, from seed and wild-crafted, that will make it so the quilt literally holds the land within itself. The quilt, approximately 80” x 90”, will feature appliqué, embroidery, and hand-quilting techniques that abstractly represent the land’s topography, unique characteristics, and other treasures and secrets I uncover.

Today I visited a farm in Westport, NY to pick up a few fleeces that a friend of mine had helped sheer last year. My partner and I got a tour of the farm, hung out with some very sweet Scottish Blackface sheep, and befriended a few goats. The fleeces will largely become the batting of the quilt, but a small amount will be saved so I can spin it into yarn to use as detailed stitching in the quilt.