Birdsong

I have a working hypothesis that sewing and fishing are a nearly identical activity. Lest you think I’ve lost my marbles, simply hear my evidence in support of this theory. Both activities are time consuming and result in the fulfillment of a necessity, food and warmth. Both involve small sharp objects that poke your fingers, tying tiny knots, and untangling wily thread/line. You can practice either with minimal equipment or with a lot of high-tech gear and gadgets. Both hobbies are traditional vital crafts that continue to evolve. Each activity becomes an essential part of your identity. Time is different when you’re fishing and quilting; it simultaneously slows down and yet hours pass by without notice (or concern). But most importantly, the process of sewing and fishing is just as important as the final result. As my beloved likes to say, “the fishing was great, the catching not so much”. This is why the quip “I’d rather be fishing” or “quilting” is emblazoned on mugs and license plate holders — because the time spent doing the hobby is where the joy really lies. If you’re only in it for the catching, then you’re missing the bulk of what these hobbies entail. Like I said, this is a working hypothesis.

Camping is a huge part of my life and it is how I truly disconnect and enjoy my well-earned time off. Being outside is how I recharge my inner batter. And Birdsong is a special quilt because it was made entirely in the great outdoors. I hereby proclaim that stitching in the wild is where it’s at! While you stitch, you can pause to watch clouds, listen to birds and enjoy the vitamin d infusion on your skin. Birdsong is also a truly serendipitous mini quilt because I had no plan when I gathered the materials I brought camping. I packed a couple of small hand dyed pieces (dried huckleberry and avocado pits that just so happened to be the same size), a batting scrap and my hand sewing kit. It is pure coincidence that the fabrics and thread colors were exactly the same as the landscape.

Birdsong is an improvisational handstitched design that mimics the contours of the lake where it was created. My dear friend/mentor Leesa encourages me to use lines found in nature as my quilting designs. And hand stitching on this dyed hemp fabric is simply delicious, akin to a comfort food like a custardy quiche lorraine with broccoli. With this piece, I sat with my coffee, listened to the cacophony of birds and stitched the shape of the lake first. Then I took my sweet time to sew the middle lines like waves, stopping frequently to take in an unbelievable cloud show and bird watch. Since we were adjacent to a wildlife reserve, the lake was teeming with an awesome assortment of foul. As an inlander, I still get super excited about pelicans! While my husband fished, I stitched, which is how I devised my aforementioned theory.

Now that the weather is nice, I am diligently working to carry the camping vibe throughout the workweek. Coffee outside in the morning with a little cloud watching? Check. Lunch on the lawn? Yes please! And how did I just learn how damn satisfying it is to water your garden with a hose? I mean seriously, talk about an enjoyable pastime. It is backyard time — I need to move my large hand quilting projects outside instead of the couch. As the warm season is just beginning up here, I hope to test my hypothesis on a weekly basis and see where the evidence leads me. My hope too is that Birdsong is just the first in a series of quilted landscapes as I continue to stitch up my explorations of the beautiful places that surround me.

Birds listened to: Canada Geese with oodles of goslings, Western Grebe, American White Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Mallard, Ring-necked Pheasant, California Quail, Ring-billed Gull, California Gull, Forster’s Tern, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Red winged Blackbird, House Wren, Cliff Swallow, Chukar, American Robin.