The Cottage Journal 03.25.2020
Inspiration. How does it work? I honestly don’t know. But what I do know, is that I find inspiration (or it finds me) in all sorts of ways. What inspired my Crossed Canoes quilt, here in the Longsmith Cottage Quilt Shop? Four things:
- This beautiful view from a greenway that my husband and I regularly walk. We always stop on the bridge spanning this creek to look for herons and turtles. Different seasons, different colors…
- A stash of batik fabrics that I had hung onto for a few years, and whose colors reminded me of the photo of the creek. (Batiks are an Indonesian technique of wax-resist dyeing on fabric. Dots and lines are drawn on the fabric in wax, then the fabric is dyed, and the wax is removed with boiling water. The process can be repeated multiple times for more intricate designs and rich color tones.)
- An antique Crossed Canoes quilt, circa 1860. Note how it has been hand-tied, rather than quilted.
- And finally, a very fond memory I have of meandering down the Harpeth River in a canoe with my husband and teenaged (at that time) daughter.
Crossed Canoes Quilt made by Katie Longsmith / Size: 58″ x 83″ / 100% cotton and batik fabrics / Crossed Canoes quilt block / Sound waves quilting design
Longsmith Cottage 