My mother makes a very few very special quilts each year. She has several in progress and today this picture arrived in the mail of one where the piecework is done and the binding and quilting await.
This is one of the those views that becomes part of the fabric of our lives, immediately recognizable and grounding us in place. She has depicted the view looking north from the deck of the Upper Cottage over the roof of the Lower across Deadman's Cove on Monhegan Island, Maine. My great Grandparents Raymond and Alice Barker purchased this property in the 1920s and it has remained a beloved summer retreat for generations of extended family members. I hope that this summer I will be able to take my family to Monhegan after a five year's absence, and it will be Emily and Elias's first introduction to this enchanted place.
Mom's design captures a Monhegan sunrise, taking some liberties with its position but marvelously capturing its colors and the play of soft light and fleeting shadows at daybreak. I love her landscape quilts and this one promises to be truly stunning. I can almost hear the dawn chorus of gulls as the tide starts to ebb. Mom says "it was fun to see if I could make it look real!" For one who knows every speckled rock and forest fringe of this view, it is a breathtaking recreation.
Just gorgeous!
Posted by: Laura | March 29, 2007 at 10:49 PM
She has an eye for the telling moment. On her, artistic license looks good. :-)
Posted by: Sissy Willis | March 28, 2007 at 02:24 PM
Wow! What a quilt -- what a place.
Posted by: bridgett | March 27, 2007 at 09:16 PM
That must be the most beautiful object I have seen in a very long time. Your mother's extraordinary talent is a gift to all of us.
Posted by: Miss Chestnuts | March 27, 2007 at 05:33 PM
My cousin Cynthia mentioned to me that she saw you one summer on the Island. I am pleased that your introduction to Monhegan the week after we left college has proved such a gift. I remember it being cool and misty then, as only Maine can be before Memorial Day: quite a change from the already sweltering Main Line!
Posted by: GreenmanTim | March 27, 2007 at 12:36 PM
One of the best things that I got from knowing you was a lifelong love for Monhegan. I have been back several times in my life, and try to return when I can.
Posted by: frumiousb | March 27, 2007 at 02:36 AM
This is breathtaking!
Your mother is extraordinarily gifted!
Posted by: The Educational Tour Marm | March 26, 2007 at 07:41 PM