Funky Miracle

At this moment when my body remains in a rebellious state and recovery feels like an epic uphill slog of patience, I feel like everything I do is amazing. Take a shower, especially if it is also a hair washing day — epic. Cook something that isn’t just an ingredient dump in to the Instant Pot — phenomenal. Stop a giant fox from committing backyard chicken murder three different times — heroic! Not to sound overly dramatic, but when you are recovering from a serious illness (or just recovering from anything, really), you realize how much energy all of life’s daily duties consume. So when I have any additional energy to expend on something creative, it is a straight-up miracle. And I recognize that I am so fortunate that this experience is foreign to me; I arrived at this illness as someone who has lived the life of the able-bodied.

One lesson hammered into me during the last two months is just how much the little things matter. I am so appreciative of anything comforting right now, like blankets and warm socks knit by my grandma-in-law. (Yes, it is 90 degrees at 8,200 ft. but since my literal nerves are stressed, my feet are freezing.) And even though I get dressed for no one but myself, it feels good to rock a cute sundress even if I never venture off our plot and my feet are encased in socks. Likewise, listening to music is even more of an absolute joy right now. I have spent this additional downtime listening to more music than ever seeking out both new and old favorites, and one of my all time favorites is The Meters. When I’m down, I know exactly how to turn it around — it is called a Meters infusion. I may have a bias about the transformative power of funky music, but man oh man, The Meters are some of the best medicine out there for me, with no negative side effects to boot! The Meters are no longer just reserved for “Meters Monday”; they can be tapped into anytime a boost is needed, like vitamin F. It is impossible not to smile while listening to that good old funky music.

My motto for 2020 is “Funkify your life” and although this year is turning out to be nothing like any of us hoped, I still keep this motto front and center. I had it emblazoned on a coffee mug, like a motivational “Seize the day”, which is a good reminder to keep it funky, especially in the morning. Ugh, mornings. And what does “Funkify your life” mean to me? It means branching out, like this blog coming from a mostly shy introvert with an aversion to social media. It means staying positive. It means accepting the challenges. It means keeping it real and having fun. It means making art, or making anything. It means appreciating the grit. Also, it just makes me smile and isn’t that enough?

And speaking of things that make me happy, how about quilt heroes, like Joe Cunningham, offering online workshops! I despise this pandemic but there are a couple of positives and one is greater access to online learning. A couple of weeks back, I took a class from Joe on two-color quilts. Yes, I love scrappy quilts but there is something very dramatic (in a good way) about two color designs. For my projects, I chose a fall-palette batik and, as always, some signature moss green; the beauty is that you can choose any two colors your heart desires as long as there is contrast. This quilt is the outcome of the four-patch technique we learned. I will not divulge Joe’s method here, but will say that it is incredibly fun, fast and yields awesome results. One of the fun things about this method is that you can be very intentional with your block layout or just wing it. Since I’m trying to conserve as much energy as able and play around with this new technique, I chose to arrange the blocks pretty much at random. These patches provide endless design opportunities from size, to color, to layout. This new-to-me four patch technique will be a part of my quilting repertoire for years to come, so don’t be surprised to see more like this.

I would like to be that maker who always has some deep intention and inspiration in mind when selecting fabrics, but honestly I chose these two colors because I had a whole yard of each in my stash. Oh, and I love to pair orange and green. Once I started to piece the blocks together, I saw that maybe deep down I did have an idea after all since these colors are reminiscent of a Japanese maple in a mossy landscape. Although my love of massive trees cannot be overstated, the diminutive size of the Japanese maple is no deterrent for my affection. (The only downside is that they are more difficult to hug; you can still show them affection by petting them. Come on, I know there are people out there who hug/pet trees!) The colors of the leaves in the fall are stunning, ranging from a deep burgundy, think Cabernet, to variegated shades of orange. The leaves of this maple seem so delicate but I’ve witnessed these mighty little trees take on a Northwest deluge and remain no worse for the wear. They are, without a doubt, one of my favorite trees.

Alright, let’s funkify this quilt! Listening to my fab four, and those other funky folks The Neville Brothers and George Porter Jr., really made this an extra awesome endeavor. Quick musical lesson/deviation here: The Neville Brothers came out of The Meters, with Art Neville rocking the keyboard and adding on his brothers’ amazing talents, especially Aaron’s otherworldly voice. The Neville family musical legacy continues on today with, just one example, the band Dumpstaphunk. It is amazing to me just how poignant The Meters and Neville Brothers lyrics are and how much they resonate with present day struggles. I have to wonder what would happen if more people just really, really listened to what these musicians said and then took action(s) to address inequality. Sigh. I also listened to some solo George Porter Jr., bassist extraordinaire and founding member of The Meters, who is still dropping funky bass lines and making/wearing envy inducing tie dyes. Okay, thank you for letting me explain all this for those who are not obsessed with New Orleans funk.

Back to the piece: through cutting, and piecing, and quilting, I really wanted “Funky Miracle” to be easy, intuitive and energizing. Remember, you can’t have funk without fun! For the quilting on this piece, again, I wanted something easy and fun that also enhanced the overall design. To test out different designs, I used some thin plastic from a local art store (like transparencies from school, kids) and doodled different shapes with a dry erase marker. I’m sure there is a more high tech way of testing out varying patterns, but this method works for me when the quilting design isn’t obvious. After looking at several different styles, I settled on a shattered lines design from Jacquie Gering’s “Walk” book which utilizes straight lines at different lengths and angles to create an overall geometric design reminiscent of shattered glass. I used painter’s tape to make my lines and guide me while sewing. Having the tape guide was super important because I always groove along to my tunes, especially the funky ones. Although the design looks random, I was intentional with my line placement to make sure that I got the look I was going for. The sole purpose of the “Funky Miracle” quilt is fun so there was no need to mess around with free motion quilting or worry about stitch length. A walking foot design is perfect for this piece and yes, it was fun to create. And just look at this incredible backing! I bought it at a mega-talented girlfriend’s personal stash fabric sale. It looks to be hand-dyed and is just stunning. I will use the remainder of this fabric in a quilt where it is the star.

Some projects have a recipient in mind at the very beginning and others appear once the project is done. Now I know just the folks who deserve a housewarming present, so “Funky Miracle” will be shipped off to another home. I’ve got a couple of bigger projects I’m making for keeps in my queue that I hope to debut shortly. And there will be many more quilts inspired by funky music. I mean, not to brag here, but I (most likely) have the biggest Meters, Dr. John, Neville Brothers, Allen Toussaint, George Porter Jr., Rebirth Brass Band, Earl King, Professor Longhair and Jon Cleary album collection at this elevation, in our “town”. I am more than happy to offer up solicited advice on these amazing musicians and, again not to brag, but I’ve been known to make some badass mixes. Just ask!

Everything we do gonna be funky, from now on.

Albums listened to: The Meters “Fundamentally Funky”, “Funkify Your Life Anthology Discs 1 & 2”, “Cabbage Alley” and “Zony Mash”; The Neville Brothers “Yellow Moon”, “Family Groove”; Dumpstaphunk live at Jazz Fest 2018; George Porter Jr. and Runnin’ Pardners “Can’t Beat the Funk”.