Come Forth Into the Light of Things

These words from the poet William Wordsworth, inspired this paper quilt project that represents parts of the natural world that I am especially fond of. I have been fortunate to visit two of Wordsworth’s homes in England’s Lake District, and can understand how he would be moved to write about what he experienced in that beautiful landscape. Relative to this quote, Wordsworth not only described what he saw in nature, but also the impact and influence that it had on his life. 

As an artist and writer, I enjoy the colors, textures, and sounds of the woods and meadows, but I also appreciate the lessons that await all of us around the next turn in the trail. There we can see the original World Wide Web – food web, that is, plus life cycles, plant structures, ecosystems, and more, if we slow down, listen and observe. 

Project information: This quilt project, my first sewing-on-paper experience, began with a 12” x 12” sheet of cream-colored handmade paper. I chose handmade paper because of its soft, fabric-like feel. I used a variety of other handmade papers and vintage images for the individual squares, embellished with beads, dried flowers, and fibers. A practice “quilt” using scrapbook paper and careful measuring meant less stress when I was ready to put together the final project. Since I had not sewn on paper before, I also needed to try out various tension settings and needle sizes on my sewing machine. A fun part of making this quilt was combining colors, textures, and wee bits of things from my on-hand supply cache.

I love discovering another way to tell a story!