"Woven" - a Nebraska 150 celebration

"Woven" 

24"x 24"

A Nebraska 150 Wall Quilt Challenge entry

Theme: "Inspired by Nebraska's Diversity"

**warning very wordy ahead

This year my state of Nebraska will commemorate its Sesquicentennial (150 years) of statehood.  A challenge went out to make a 24" wall quit with the theme Inspired by Nebraska's Diversity.  Our local modern quilt guild was already working on a project to tie in a charity fund raiser quilt and while I was participating in that I thought it would be fun to try my hand at a personal wall quilt. 

My thought process was to present a sort of history woven in fabric.  I started improv piecing scraps, in the lightest fabrics I had, creating a grid of the farm land I grew up with.  The textures of the warp and weft are created by tiny inserts of fabric, some less than 1/2" wide.  Part of the aerial landscape is a bit of my journey. Born near the South Dakota/Nebraska border and slowly making my way south in the state and ending at the our state capital, Lincoln.  The colors darken as you go down from top to bottom, representing a history faded from the past down to much more earthy tones of present day. 

Then the addition of the state capital: Lincoln Ne. my current home. 

Our state capital building is truly lovely and inspiring and I encourage anyone passing this way to stop and visit its beauty.  I tried to create an illusion of all the things that went into creating this beautiful building by playing with some fabrics that showcased a touch of gold and elements that could be used as building components. 

(my photos are not great as I was in a hurry to finish)

While working on the darker pieces I wanted to incorporate some of the Nebraska history that helped to make this land a state.  Some of the textured fabrics I used represent the beautiful sandhills, rivers, trees, the rocky bluffs beside the farm and ranch land. One fabric to represent the building of the Union Pacific railroad and another to represent the Dwight D Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highway (I80). If you have ever driven through our state going east or west, this was probably the route you were on. 

Things that I could not represent well in fabric I wrote in with text naming them. 

Significant notes include: 

-Nebraskier (written very faintly in the upper light part of this piece)translated to mean "flat water" a name given by the Otoe people and used by fur trappers. The word is close to the French words "riviere plate" and suspected to be the origin of Platte river which is a 310 mile long tributary of the Missouri River and flows to the Gulf of Mexico.  Nebraska has more miles of river than any other state!  

-The Ogallala Aquifer lies beneath 174,000 square miles of 8 states.

-Bailey Yard in North Platte is the worlds largest  train yard spanning 8 miles. 

-Archie is the worlds largest mammoth skeleton from the late Pleistocene Era. 

-Halsey National Forest is nations largest hand planted forest and where I went to 4-H camp when I was young. 

-Our original  state nickname was "The Tree Planter's state" but changed to "Cornhusker state" in 1945

-State bird is the Western Meadowlark

-State flower is the Golden rod

-We are the 37th state into the Union on March 1, 1867

-J. Sterling Morton founded the first Arbor Day in 1872. By 1920 45 other states adopted this holiday.

-Eagle Rock was the most mentioned rock formation in diaries of those who traveled on the Oregon Trail. 

-Migration of the Sandhill and Whooping Cranes have an important river stop-over here in Nebraska. I have seen this and it is spectacular.

-Only state with Unicameral legislation, influenced by Senator George Norris in 1937.

-The Great Platte River Road Archway monument, the "Kearney Arch" is a museum directly over the Interstate. 

-Homestead Act of 1862. Because of this law signed by President Lincoln to open up the western territory of the nation, 160 acres to anyone 21 years or older for 5 years.  5 years later Nebraska became a state. 

-We have 93 counties. 

-Our capital of Lincoln was named after President Lincoln. 

And now you know too much about Nebraska!! 

Match stick organic quilting added the final texture.  After appliqueing the state capital pieces on the quilt I thread sketched over the parts I wanted to highlight. 

When you look at this piece from afar you will see that the darker fabrics meant to be part of  the aerial view of the land now appears to be more of a cityscape (the bottom foundation of this piece beside the capital building). It is meant to change your view point of the quilt to reflect a cityscape of industry that represents the present day Lincoln Nebraska. 

All of this history is "Woven" into this quilt through the depiction of the land, the people and industry that make this state the diverse state that it is today.  My personal journey (slightly shown in the quilt) represents such a tiny bit. I am fortunate that my family has farmed part of this land for over 100 years. 

I am so excited this exhibit is hanging at the International Quilt Study Center and Museum right now.  The wall quilts will be judged next monday and the winners will be revealed at a luncheon in February. Wish me luck. There are some really beautiful quilts in this challenge. 

Linking up with: 

Let's Bee Social @Sew Fresh Quilts 

and 

Kelly for My Quilt Infatuation NTT

and Fort Worth Studio Fabric Frenzy Friday

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for can i get a whoop whoop friday

and Amanda Jean at Crazy mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday

and Caroline at Showoff Saturday SewCanShe