this blog was originally set up for me, to follow the progress of one project, a quilt/ story cloth called "Listen to the River". since i was in the middle of this project when i started, the beginning thoughts are missing. and so i have decided to recap the plan and process, for myself...and for my readers ( they have increased many- fold thanks to kind words from whip up). i also need to refocus and organize all my notes and thoughts so i can decide what is next and when this thing will actually end...
the quilt is a gift. all my quilts are gifts. (OK, i have been known to give myself gifts) and the gift is not a surprise.
the quilt is for walter and walter is family and walter is not his real name.
walter is now 50 and he lives out west and he has a little house and from that house you can listen to a river.
this is walter's little house ( with my little quilt so nicely integrated into the photo by walter himself). the quilt is a house warming gift.
my original mission statement goes something like this: (with some new inserts). " ...a new project for a special house near a river. the theme is simple indigo blue (walter has the blues) and natural linen (walter is a botanist). it will be reversible (walter has more than one side) and i will try some new rustic stitching techniques (i am always experimenting). the patchwork will be quite simple like little houses are (not forgetting my desire for order), but some special secrets (walter's story) will be stitched in like those only a river can whisper...."
this project was started mid-september when the light was changing and the days were getting shorter.
my original sketches were square, and the quilt is square, walter likes squares and simple things and i used a basic amish 9 patch as my original inspiration.
the main idea was a set of blocks to build the house and a river to listen to in the middle. the concept being that you could sit in this little house and find shelter and listen to the river and "poof" you would be in your own beautiful private world.
the back was to be the garden, walter's garden, he loves the garden. the reversible idea was a new venture for me, to line the quilt block by block ...
this is how it started.
with the basic indigo and linen blocks.
hand pieced overcast style. on a commuter train.
to be continued.....
