A Story That Makes Legends Come True
My journey began with the help of my brother David, my quilt entry into the Huston Show & a lot of courage. I love hearing of an event that changes someone’s life. I can actually say one such evening changed my own life, the IQA winners circle celebration evening “A World of Beauty” quilt show in Huston, Texas 2006.
After the winning quilts are announced the audience is encouraged to circulate and get up close and personal, to view the works of fabric art and talk to their artists. As I stood under one of the works of art by Annette M. Hendricks called “Moon Dance” with my mouth open I will add, Annette approached me and asked could she take my photo. “Of course,” I replied. My ego kicking in! Though after a few seconds I did ask why? She said, “For a future quilt”. As I stood talking to her and buying one of her CD’s, Helen & Gavin Godden and Annette’s mom Kathy were introduced to me. Helen Godden also had an award winning quilt “Mekong Gold” in the show. Towards the end of the night’s celebration Annette asked me if I would join them for dinner “yes I would love to!”
That evening the three quilting sisters unknowingly began their story.
While I was with Annette one afternoon during the show, she mentioned Helen’s love of Dragonflies. I told Annette the Indian legend of the Coyote, Dragon and Dragonfly. At that time I did not know that Annette’s email address for the past 15 years was purple coyote and neither of my quilt sisters knew of my fascination with dragons.
The next bit is written by Annette M. Hendricks and quilted on the back of “The Three Sisters” quilt.
Once upon a time, so the tale is told, there was a cunning coyote and an amazing dragon who was able to shift shape magically. The coyote called out to the dragon, daring it to change its form. “Can you change into an elephant?” the coyote challenged. Instantly the dragon transformed into the large beast. “Can you change into a rabbit?” the dragon did so without effort. Finally the coyote daunted, “I bet you can’t change into a itty-bitty dragonfly.” Without hesitation, and with no thought to the consequences, the dragon transformed itself into a dragonfly. To the dragon’s great shock, the last metamorphosis was instant, complete, and irreversible, and the dragon has remained in the form to the very day.
Originally Helen and Annette were going to do a two person quilt. Annette had already started the quilt top. The design consisted of three flowers all at different heights, using pieced hand-dyed fabric. Annette was going to call the quilt the three sisters after her three daughters.
Upon asking me to join them in this quilting adventure, we realized the three sisters still worked. Three women, three countries, the three sister mountain ranges in each country.
I mentioned to them that I am a portrait artist, so we agreed to have our portraits painted on the three flower heads. We then decided to have our totem animals, Annette the Coyote, Helen the Dragonfly and me the Dragon circling us telling our story.
With the beautifully pieced quilt packed away safe in my luggage, I began sketching on the plane home. All the ideas and inspirations we had discussed running through my brain as I drew.
A few corrections from my sisters and I began the painting using photos Annette and Helen sent me of their faces and hands.
I must say the first stroke of my brush was a little daunting. Annette argued and told us “Oh No, the first sewing on the faces was even more traumatic!”
The painted quilt traveled from British Columbia, Canada to Annette M. Hendricks of Grayslake Illinois, for the batting, backing and incredible relief quilting (like relief sculpture) of our faces and hands. Then on to Helen Godden of Latham, Act, Australia who had only 10 days to complete the artistic free hand thread work. Back to Annette for a story book backing, binding and handwork. Oh, I did get in there again with the totem animals on the label.
“The Three Sisters” quilt brought three nations together proving how important it is for women to work as sisters for a common goal.
After months of work, we heard that “The Three Sisters” has won an award.
Again at the winners circle celebration a year to the day we met. We all gave each other a big sisterly hug and shouted with glee, we won first in the group category.
So, this is a tale of a life-time, yet the story goes on, wait till you see what the Three Sisters do next! |
