Writing & Quilting

Two of my mom's quilts: Yankee Doodle Quilt (left), Ohio's Bicentenniel Quilt (right)

My mom is a quilter. I know this because my childhood bedroom is now abounding with all sorts of colored patches of fabric and works in progress. I hadn't ever considered the similarities between our creative processes, until I came across this musing on storytelling and quilt-making - enjoy!

- A quilt takes months.
- A story takes months.

- You choose a pattern, something formal or an idea to cobble together. 
- You choose a theme, ideas that you will piece together.

- You try to think how much fabric you will need…
- You try to think how much material you will need and how long your story will be.

- Cut out fabric into required pieces…
- Write out the material into required blocks of text.  You can fill in the gaps later.

- Fit these [blocks of fabric] together in an agreeable way…
- Fit these blocks of text together in an agreeable way.

- Baste together with big stitches…
- Baste your writing together with rough transitions.

- Then you can quilt.
- Then you can draft and re-draft.

- Make the tiny stitches which draw the layers together and create texture.
- Make tiny edits which draw the layers together and create texture.
 
Then be sure to share your creation with others.  Hang up your writing, share it with everyone who will listen.

Authored by Kari-Lynn Winters; inspired by Theresa Kishkan's book Phantom Limb.