Winter Sets In

My parents sitting in front of the window quilt I made to keep out the cold wind of the Lake.

It is a time when the cold either sharpens your senses or sends you running for a quilt and a mug of tea. It is a time when most of us crave light and we do our best to compensate for the lack of sunlight by decorating our houses, trees and window sills with candles and electric bulbs. No matter where you are from or what your background, it is hard not to appreciate a string of lights across a dark porch railing.

For those of us who are in the arts and crafts business this time of year is hectic. Not only are we trying to sell our wares, but we are making our own lists. Over the past few years, it has become acceptable to do what I have encouraged my friends and family to do all along - make your own presents! This is more easily said or written, than done. The key is not to seek perfection, but rather to enjoy the process of making each gift unique. If you are in the "business," break away from your "thing." Be daring! If you work in cloth, try mixing dry ingredients for cookies, soup or bread. If you work with metal, try sewing. If you work with paints and brushes, pick up some beads and start to string them. You get the idea.

No matter what the weather and no matter how long your list is, appreciate what you have. Take a walk to perk you up and then have a mug of something to warm you up. Everything, even the lights on the front porch will seem clearer and brighter after that.

Peace,
Rebecca

How is it possible to capture someone's life in a quilt? It isn't, but in the process of trying, it forces both the artist and the loved one to consider the colors and textures of the clothes the person wore and the objects and landscapes the person loved. What do the colors signify?

The answer is of course better known by those who loved the person, but as an artist I can say that in the process of sewing these wall hangings I appreciated this person's sense of individual style, her vivaciousness and her boldness. They lent themselves to the birds and flowers I was asked to represent.

This was not an easy commission. I knew one of the daughters of this woman and I cared very much what she was going to think about my representations of her mother. It also was a challenge because the material was of several varieties including silk, polar fleece, t-shirts and velvet. But after some hemming and hawing I decided that the only way to finish them was to start. I am happy to say that the family was very happy with my work.