Art of the Month: Memory Keeper Project

It is hard to believe but over a year has past since my first Memory Keeper Project post. For anyone who was not reader last year and who wants to start at the beginning head over here. In essence I make a new 9 x 9 inch quilt block at the beginning of each year with a symbol that calls to me and at the end of that year after having looked at it and lived with it I chose a name for the year and embroider that name on the back. 2008 was "The Birthing Year" as it was a year of healing from birthing Kyan and the birth of parenthood. 2009 is "The Foundation Year." The triple spiral called to me last year since we are a family of three and it has such deep and rich symbolism. I used bright and odd fabric and let my intuition guide the embellishments.
I decided on "The Foundation Year" because 2009 was about building the foundations of our family and the life we want to live together. Kyan was learning to walk, talk and was in a period of constant growth and change. Building, creating and slowly laying down the beginnings of family one brick at a time were the essence of 2009 to me.
This year as I contemplate what the symbol on the third block of my future Memory Keeper quilt will be the essence of this project and its longevity fill me with promise. The pace of this endeavor fits the snippets of time I have to sew and sets a tone for each year. Since we live with each image for at least a year I feel like the symbol and fabric absorb energy from our day-to-day life so that when we hold or see them in the future we will remember, for better or worse the days that passed oh, so quickly. And in the way that photos can capture moments in time visually, the quilt will hold energy in a tactile way.