Memories of Kate

My daughter, Kate Bronwyn, died on May 12, 2002.  I have dedicated a fair bit of creative energy to remembering her through quilts, the odd poem, and many journal entries.  This continues that tradition.


My sister Dana has helped make Kate's place at Bayview a place of color and joy.  I have begun to add to that.  It makes me happy to see her honored.

In the years following her death I began the journal quilt project and many quilts reflect themes that are tied to Kate's life.  She loved dolls, Barbie dolls in particular.  When she died we found an enormous collection of Barbie dolls, clothes, related dolls, and Barbie accessories.  I was overwhelmed and just kept the collection intact for a couple of years.  My sister Betsy offered to help me document the collection so I could sell it on E-Bay.  It was quite a process.  I decided to sell it as as intact collection and being an E-Bay novice did not get shipping added to the price.  Gratefully, I got a bid that just covered the cost of shipping the three large boxes to the successful bidder.  I felt like honoring both the collection and the time and energy it took me to let go.  Anyone who has had to go through the remains of a person's life can understand the emotional and physical energy it takes.   I made this small quilt with cotton, silks and ribbons.  I titled it "Goodbye Barbies."  It is 9.5 x 13.5 inches. I made it in January 2005, two and a half years after she died.  It takes a long time to let go.


As I was going through my quilts in preparation for this blog, I found a lovely quilt that I made in July 2004 as part of my journal project.  It is a bit larger than most of my journal pieces.  This quilt measures 14.5 x 17 inches and is untitled.  It honors the connection that Kate had with my sister Dana and my mother Donna.  They all shared July birthdays.  I love this quilt on many levels.


I made the crazy pieced center from some of the fabrics from Kate's clothes, some from the actual clothes and a few from pieces that were leftover.  The lovely dragonfly fabric was a piece that Dana gave me early in my quilting practice.  I have always loved it and wanted it to join the others.  I cut up a vibrant red rayon dress that my sister Betsy made for Kate.  She loved that dress.  I created the roses you see below from the dress using ruching.  The buttons are from the dress as well.  There are so many memories in this piece as I reflect on it today.  My mother loves roses and hummingbirds.  She suffers from dementia now.  Even so roses and a hummingbird feeder are outside her bedroom window.  She has always loved color and that was passed on to all of her children and granddaughter Kate.  This quilt represents that lineage.




I just finished listening to Elizabeth Gilbert's book, Big Magic. Creative Living Beyond Fear (2015).  I was ready to hear what she had to say.  One of the takeaways for me is that the creative process has to be for oneself and not for others.  I think that is so true for me.  No matter what people who read this blog receive,  I hope the message is that this is about my process and one needs to tap into one's own life in order to create.  The work begins once the inspiration is acknowledged.  I also know from Gilbert's words and stories and my own experience that the work can be transformative for those who do it and for those who view it.  I will share in another entry the story of my most memorable grief quilt.

For today I will happily end with the roses and the Barbies and a photo of a sketch of Lady Catriona, taken at a Chicano Art Exhibit at the Whatcom Museum.  I like to think of Kate's spirit dancing in the guise of the heroine of Los Dios de Muertos.  The attribution for this famous etching is included below.  She is the Grand Dame of Death and her name is very close to my daughter Kate's.  There are no accidents.



Thanks for reading. 



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