Plant Dyed & Wild Flowers- My Sicily Memory Quilt

Maybe it’s a blessing that I am just now getting to this Blog Post??? I have to admit, I put it waaaay off—-

Sicily. My Sicily Quilt.

I have to say, the past 3 years living there, I had a bit of a Love//Hate relationship with the Island. I wont go into detail about what I didnt like, but I will tell you how she molded me and tuned me into an ever deeper part of my soul.

Etna. If you have read any of my posts here in this space, you know that I am a mountain girl, and in Sicily there is an incredible volcano- she sat right in my backyard, always just over my shoulder- Etna was my saving grace, my escape, my wander and wonder, my love affair- Every morning she greeted me on my walks, I watched her change in hue from afar- glorious shades of grays to amazing purples, pinks and blues…. some days she would be snow peaked, others hidden in a storm. She was like a friend, always there, ready for me to find my way driving up her ridge to find cozy spots nestled into her woods or fields.

I took these images at one of my favorite spots, Piano Vetore … Here you can see the main crater, a sky full of stars on a clear night, hike the trails, or just bask in the sun. Its a magical place.

I knew while living here that I would like to make a Quilt, a memory piece to hold onto, warm me in the future when I missed this place… I had many pieces of Linen that I dyed over my time here, some pressed with wild flowers from the fields that grew in Spring just next to our Navy Base, that I would incorporate. I didnt have any vision as to what this piece would turn into, but I had a feeling.

That is what anything I make is all about though, a feeling, not much of a plan, just see what happens- This may not always be the best approach, but its just how I do things <3

I felt this blanket needed to tell a Story- Its subtle, but there, well, for me.

I added the Moon, as I spent so so so many nights out watching her change and glow, many evenings driving in the countryside to snap photos of her—- she is my constant, no matter where we go, I always have the Moon.

My hands reaching up, to represent my growth, my surrender to the ebb and flow of this life and its many changes. The color pallet, as it reminded me of the land in Sicily, dry and golden. Mountains, to represent Dear Etna as well as the Medonies- and Birds. I cannot describe my excitement when the Swallows came- dancing in the sky in swarms so big it was other-worldly… It was absolute magic to witness….

In the end, she ended up being my favorite piece I’v made to date…. Since moving from the Island back stateside, she has stayed with me. Every morning I wake to find her on the couch, ready for me to snuggle in with a cup of coffee and a journal, reminding me of a time we spent, our family, together in Sicily.

Quilt storytelling- I feel like I’m just jumping into this journey still… Thank you Sicily for teaching me, for allowing me the slow to create, for inspiring me to make this blanket- i’ll be forever greatful.

Till next time- xoxox