I think quilts are magic. In a time of wi-fi and iphones, there isn’t much mystery or magic left in the world, but I think quilts still have magic. Maybe it’s because not as many people take the time to make them anymore. Maybe it’s because they tend to be symbols of love and comfort. Maybe it’s because of the connection to countless generations of women who have kept their families warm by sewing scraps of fabric together into blankets. Quilts have morphed from something purely functional to an intricate art form. My favorite example of this are the Quilts of Gees Bend. Amazing works of art (Pottery Barn now sells reproductions) from the cast offs of a textile plant! Quilts are my favorite gift to give; for new babies, new moms, engagements, weddings, friends having hard times, friends recovering from illness, any excuse I can find.
My friend Caileigh is ten and a half years old and has been finding sleep difficult. Being no stranger to bad dreams and lost sleep myself, I wanted to help. Thus the Security Blanket Project was born. We started on a frigid day in February (the studio was only just not freezing – Caileigh was a real trooper!). In three hours Cailiegh had cut all of the squares laid out the quilt pattern and started sewing.
The quilter at work.
Of course LZ had to supervise.
At the beginning of day one, Caileigh had never used a sewing machine. After much reassurance that there was nothing she could do that would hurt the sewing machine any worse than I had already and that any mistakes were fixable, Caileigh jumped right in. She’s a natural! After a few rows she was sewing completely on her own.
On day two, in a marathon sewing session Caileigh sewed all the squares together while I ironed all the seams flat. I gave her two options for finishing the quilt. The first would be to put ties in the blanket holding the top sheet, batting and back together. This would be something that I would help with but Caileigh would more or less do herself. Or I could machine quilt the layers together. For the quilting pattern I would use symbols of protection from different cultures around the world to make it a true “security blanket”. Caileigh chose option two. Before I show you what I designed, let me say that I am SO impressed with Caileigh. She did an amazing job designing, cutting, and sewing. It was truly a joy to work with her. Okay, back to the quilt. This is the layout for the quilting.
In the center there is a Hand of Fatima (or Miriam) to protect against the evil eye. Around the Hand of Fatima is a medicine wheel with arrows pointing to the left and right for protection. In the corners I planned to sew Celtic shield knots, until I realized that by the time I learned to draw a Celtic shield knot Caileigh would probably have graduated from highschool. So I settled on a Celtic trinity symbol. Many cultures have the trinity as part of their symbology. For ancient Celts the trinity was a symbol for the maiden, mother and crone while for current christians the trinity represents the father, son and holy ghost. In the fingers and palm of the Hand of Fatima are lightning bolts and rain drops to represent the power Caileigh has to protect herself (Caileigh Rain was born during a series of very intense thunderstorms, thus the middle name Rain). Be GONE you monsters in the night!
Here is how it turned out:
I told Caileigh about how I had horrible night terrors as a kid and struggled to sleep. I was constantly afraid to go to sleep. On the worst nights I would lie in bed and say sweet dreams over and over again, imagining the words stacking on top of each other. I thought that if they reached all the way to heaven someone would hear me and give me a peaceful night. Occasionally I still have crazy dreams, sometimes bad enough that Jeff has to wake me up, I still say “sweet dreams” over and over when I have trouble falling asleep. Caileigh asked Jeff if he found my chanting annoying while he was trying to sleep. I guess I forgot to mention the part about saying it silently in my head. Kids, So literal! I suppose one of these days I should get around to my own “security blanket project”. Until then, sweet dreams zzzzzzzzzzz.
PS – Caileigh’s mom reports many nights of restful sleep with her new quilt. See, quilts really are magic.
Annie, what a beautiful, loving project and gift. I’m guessing your love and support has had as much impact on Cailiegh as the quilt. Don’t get me wrong-the quilt is amazing! You are an inspiration.
When I heard the story of Caileigh and the quilt, I thought it was fabulous. Now, I’ve read the blog with all the details, Caileigh the seamstress, Annie the quilter and all the symbolism, the loving sleep therapy that resulted…this quilt is now extra magnificent. Artwork performing at it’s utmost!!! Special people and a special story!