Encircled with Friendship

by Lin Hsin-Chen

I received the 6 challenge when I was working with the “stories” that happened last year. By handling the details of each plan, I could have an in-depth view and absorption of those practical experiences. It also helped me to enhance and widen my vision of both private and public perspectives. It feels like I’m a university student learning for credits. Thanks to 2012.

Among the collation of gifts, many are fiber materials. They are a wide variety of fabrics that I’ve received from Sue Dennis, Mary Pal, Misik Kim and many other friends around the world. I decided to make them connected in my quilt. It’s a fresh thinking, and it made them a meaningful existence in my work. Making it for my 6 challenge is really an extraordinary thing.

I’m the kind of person who hates getting in troubles, so my daily life is very simple, and I follow plans and care every detail. It’s also my attitude in official business. When I was organizing TIQE2012 (Taiwan International Quilt Exhibition 2012), I had many chances to communicate with international artists by e-mails or face-to-face and exchange gifts. These working conversations and meetings always give my body and soul a sense of floating, because I want to take everything seriously and be highly concentrated. These conversations and meetings are just like a biological cell, which stores and expands my life memories and feelings. The cells are knowledgeable and often being stored in the dark for a while, but they are always ready to let me take them out any time and add new elements in. They are everlasting nuclei of life, which carrying the stories of my life.

Precious friendship comes from ordinary days. Delicate literal conversations and enthusiastic meetings with friends are the warmest life exchanges. Its extension is an invisible circle, like a ring. Such profound friendship is beyond distance and time, and connects us firmly.

While sewing this quilt, I made the seams visible, because real friendship needs not to care about outside appearances. I believe every stitch is heartfelt appreciation for year 2012 and every valuable learning experience.

In Chinese thinking, people believe that a circle is a fusion of ordinary and extraordinary things. I use circles to convey my feelings. Wish every letter and gift will be my eternal memory.

p.s. the size of this quilt is much bigger than the original request, because I want to put all the gifts and fabrics on it.

Technique: 100% hand pieced, hand quilted.