Self Portrait Project — Sonia: A Quilt

My 8th grade project is a quilt. I decided to do a mountain landscape on the quilt using various fabrics my grandmother gave me. I created the design myself; I wanted it to be simple and yet meaningful to my life. The mountain is based on Mt. Hood, a dormant volcano in Oregon my family often hiked. My inspiration for the hills I took from the Stein’s mountain range. This quilt was inspired by some of the best moments of my life. It is a 2x3 foot quilted wall hanging, sewn by both machine and by hand. The landscape is on a blue and white background. The mountain is a brown fabric with a crackled pattern. The snow is a white fabric with a pretty snowflake design and the hills are two different shades of green. One of the fabrics for the hill is a lighter green with a small floral-like design, and the other is a darker green with a plant pattern. I decided to do a river that winds behind one of the hills. I found the perfect blue fabric that looks like it's the current of a river. Overall, I am very proud of the different designs and color choices.

When I was attempting to choose a project, I was struggling. Nothing really seemed to represent my life through the years. When my mother suggested I sew something, I immediately knew that was the perfect project. Sewing has been a large part of my life for as long as I can remember. Both of my grandmothers sewed a lot, so it had a large influence on my life. My grandma on my mom’s side sewed me a lot of clothes when I was younger. I first learned to embroider when I was 8. I loved the idea of each stitch adding to the finished product. I figured that nothing would be more fitting than stitching something one stitch at a time to create something beautiful, as if each stitch were a moment in my life, building to this point. Choosing this project was as much about the process as it was the production.

I created my pattern. Then I gathered my materials and cut them out. This was a tedious process but a necessary step. Then I began to sew. With the guidance of my grandmother, I sewed the front piece together. After that, I sewed it to the backing and then hand quilted the top piece, batting, and muslin together.

This project took a lot of patience. From making the design just right, to my persnickety sewing machine not working when I needed it to. It took patience, and perseverance. But it was really magical to watch something that I spent so long on, slowly take form. One of the challenges with this project was the fact that I had never really sewed anything on my own before. It was also difficult because my grandmother couldn't help me face to face. We facetimed and worked outside; she was able to give me enough guidance to make the finished project. I am very proud of myself for completing this project. And it was fun to look back and see how much I have grown from when I started it last year. My life is completely different than it was last year and will probably be completely different next year. I think that this quilt is a good metaphor for life. Just because it looks a certain way now, doesn't mean that it can’t progress and change throughout time. This project and my goals for it evolved over time. Much like the goals I've had for my own life. This project was really incredible to watch take form, from the idea popping into my head late at night, to finishing the final stitches, it was a growing and learning experience, and I am thankful for my grandmother for helping me through this process, my family for their constant support, and Mr. C, Ms. Mulvihill, and Ms. Emmet for helping me execute my vision.

See her presentation: https://youtu.be/_J-0unB1Rkc