This quilt began with formal ideas of color and shape and composition but grew from there. Sketches in my art journal suggested a long, thin quilt, a runner, with a center stem and geometric lines or triangles branching off from it. I pursued the design, curious to see what it would become, and pulled out green scraps of hand-dyed cotton and velvet, then found a long piece of commercially printed greens that actually matched: leaves! That piece would be the central focus. Much better than the black line I had initially drawn.
Then there were the triangles, the abstract leaves, which I wanted to make from the traditional "flying geese" pattern on its side. Wondering if there was a better way to make them than I had in the past, and ready to learn a new technique, I consulted the internet and learned how to make four "geese" at once, a very curious process with one large square and four little ones. The search term that will get you many choices and tutorials: "No-waste Flying Geese."
Eventually, the title became obvious. "Forest bathing" (shinrin-yoku) is a term that originated in Japan in the 1980s, a way to relax without a phone, camera, or any other device, and connect with nature instead, a sensory experience: enjoying the smells, sounds, and sights. Many people refer to it these days as a beneficial antidote to stress. I've fallen in love with the dark green Procion dye from Dharma Trading, and I find that working with it puts me in a similar state of ease.
The hand sewing is loosely based on the sashiko "seven treasures" or flower pattern, but while I used the initial lines, I placed them randomly to create individual rootlike patterns.
I had some matte seafoam-green beads that were given to me that were a perfect match to sew onto the leaves. (If you need beads, a beautiful and complete selection is at Aura Crystals!)
Comments