Winds Change

A quick scan of the current news chock full of stories about tariffs, inflation, extreme inequality, human displacement and war can really bring a person down. Not to mention that we used to ingest our news in a slower more digestible manner, meaning perusing a newspaper over coffee versus scrolling a whole site’s headlines in minutes. In addition to this bombardment is the fact that our modern culture wants us to believe that we never have enough; we always need more and we need better. In fact, one might argue that the entire structure of our economy is predicated upon overconsumption. Constant growth cannot happen without consumers. And with the US economy changing daily, even those of us who are extremely fortunate are not immune to feeling fear and scarcity. Raise your hand if you, like me, ran out and bought tequila, limes and avocados when tariffs were announced. Oh and prosciutto too. Gulp, yep I was one of those folks who panic bought nonessentials. What if instead of giving into the narrative that we don’t have enough (or that we constantly need to better ourselves — a big ol’ can of worms for another musing), we simply challenge that message and acknowledge how much we already have.

This quilt project was the perfect antidote for my unsettled emotions around consumption because this beauty was made entirely out of materials I already had. The quilting cottons for the blocks and colorful binding were leftover extras from other large projects, the chambray backing was sourced from an estate sale a few years ago, and the “Frankenbatting” was made from a couple of large cotton batting pieces zigzag stitched together. (I cannot take credit for the great term “Frankenbatting”.) All of these ingredients came together to make a comforting quilt for a friend. With no worries about tariffs, or heck even parking and traffic.

The graphic quilt design is simply the Ribbon Star quilt block sewn in alternating colors and squished together. The recent trend in my quilt design has been to utilize only one type of quilt block in a continuous setting. What I’ve really come to appreciate is how using the blocks like this creates both a primary pattern (the original block) and a secondary pattern where the blocks intersect. In this quilt, the sides and corners of the blocks create another set of diamonds and checkerboards. Pretty nifty, eh? For ease of pattern making, I used the Ribbon Star block tutorial on the excellent Farm & Folk quilt blog. I also want to acknowledge just how much more precision I get with my traditional quilt blocks when I trim my half-square triangles (a fussy task) and iron my seams open (an even bigger pain, but so worthwhile for nesting blocks). No matter how much experience  you have as a quilter, there are always lessons to learn.

This quilt is a gift for a friend who loves music as much as I do. Isn’t it amazing just how much music is out there? Even with music as a cornerstone of my life, I continually find new inspirations. This post is named after the song “Winds Change” by Orville Peck — being one of the recipient’s favorite artists and the song that hit me the hardest while listening. Orville is an artist I’ve long meant to listen to more and this quilt gave me a perfect reason. Over the course of the album Pony, a record that sounds like if Joy Division and a vintage country artist made a baby, I discovered the unique beauty of his music. There is a haunting sound reminiscent of goth and psychedelic music, yet it still resonates in the ways of a standard country and western ballad. (Country is a broad category and what I’m referencing here is that of the Hank Williams’ genus.) Orville’s lyrics are deep and also witty, like the lines in the song “Take You Back”:  But this town has always bored me, and baby that’s including you. I adore a clever slam. Orville’s music is also very visual and evokes dusty geographies and Western landscapes. Overall I get it, I very much understand why Orville has legions of devotees and it isn’t just because of his awesome stage attire. I’m hooked. 

So with the current political state and its affects on our lives literally changing by the hour, all I can do is just ride the wind like the song says. I’m making a conscious decision to limit the unnecessary stress and to silence the noise that tells me I need more, that I do not have enough. I am so damn lucky to have what I do and to live in comfort and safety. I don’t need a brand new wardrobe for summer, or the latest and greatest whatever. Especially when so many people really are struggling and in need of just the basics. I can exert some semblance of control over the outside chaos by using what I have to the maximum benefit. Again it is about a change in perspective. There is no doubt I could have gone out and bought beautiful brand new fabrics for this quilt. But as I’ve discussed before, there is an unquantifiable organic and original element that happens when I limit myself to what is on hand. Within the confines of my materials (which, let’s be honest here, I have a lot of fabric to choose from), I can challenge my creativity in a very positive way. And I am always so genuinely (and happily!) surprised by the  alchemy that can transform unused materials into a cozy blanket with some cutting and sewing. Quilting is magic.