Tucked Away in a Pillow

Six years ago, I visited the Suzhou silk factory. It was an easy train ride from Shanghai, China where I had arrived a few days prior from sunny California. I was visiting my good friend Lara and able to travel like a local, seeing the unique hidden gems that the country has to offer.

We went to Suzhou because of the silk factory. I was curious to see the process of making silk. At one point in life, I was a full-time entomologist—one who studies insects. During my graduate work, I raised caterpillars. My research focused on the development of a tiny, 1 millimeter parasitoid wasp that laid an egg into the caterpillar’s egg. The wasps are natural enemies of the pest caterpillars and helped control them in a pesticide-free manner. That work was 10-15 years before my visit to the factory.

China has cultivated the art of making silk for thousands of years. I was excited to see the process. We arrived to the factory, which was tucked away on a side street. It was not too busy of a day, which was perfect for me so I could take my time to see and read everything they had to offer. We were warmly welcomed and brought into the factory.

We saw how the silk was extracted from the cocoons. In one location, a machine was connected to eight cocoons at a time, unwinding the threads and twisting them all together. In another area a woman opened up a cocoon, saving the pupa to mature safely, and spreading the 1 inch silken cocoon over a 14+ inch arch. She repeated this process several times, creating a large collection of silk. Then, four women each grabbed an edge and stretched it so that it was now as large as a bed!

In the gift shop there were so many marvels! But the one thing I had to have was this silken quilt that zipped into a pillow. It was beautiful. The silk was so soft. The idea of a foldable blanket was really ingenious and convenient. Lara bought one too.

Two years later, I found out I was going to have a niece. I wanted to give her something really special. Baby quilts are a typical gift one gives to children. But, I wanted to give her something that she would keep for years. So, I decided creating a pillow-quilt was the perfect gift. I figured that it had to be not aimed at a baby but something my niece, little miss Zohara, could enjoy as she grew. So, I wanted to create it with all things I love with the hopes to inspire her to love them as well.

The only problem is I do not really know how to make a quilt. I can’t really work a sewing machine. I probably can’t even cut in a straight line. Ok, I can’t cut in a straight line…

Luckily for me, my good friend Ella is a pro. She has amazing quilts of all different styles around her place that she has created. And, thankfully, she was excited to help me create my dreams.

Ella planned the quilt like a champ, sketching the squares and suggesting the sizes of the different parts. I helped plan the designs and where things would go, but she brought the piece to life. My main job was to chat and keep her company and stay out of her way!

I had four shirts with Pittsburgh themes that I wanted to use for Zohara’s quilt. A Steelers shirt from me, a Penguins shirt from my brother (her father), and a Pirates shirt from my father (her grandfather).

The fourth shirt was really special. It was a night skyline of the city that glowed in the dark. My brother wore it growing up. He liked it so much that he had worn it for two birthdays in a row. I know this because if you look at the photos, all of his friends are wearing different outfits but he is wearing the same thing for his 11th and 12th birthday parties.

Finally, I got the shirt when he outgrew it. Truthfully, it was still in my closet as one I wore… sometimes… for special occasions… holes and all! It was hard to give up the special shirt, but this was for my niece.

Making the cut into the shirt took some solid mental preparation. It was happening. Ella handed me the nice scissors and said “cut.” So I did. I transformed my magical shirt into something new.

One of the most fun toys I got to used was something that looked like a pizza cutter, a rotary cutter. It rolled right through the threads! I also used her fancy scissors. They had their own case. They were very sharp and only to be used on cloth. Just a tiny snip with them and there was no question as to their superior ability.

Four other squares were made of fun prints like lady scientists, insects, and color squares: red, yellow, green and blue. The center square was made of a black fuzzy material with her initials in a fuzzy white. Plus a heart that I hand sewed. My one sewing contribution, summed up in a little heart.

I gave Zohara the quilt when I met her when she was three months old. Every time I go back to visit, I take photos with her and the quilt so I can see her growth next to it. So far, I have photos from when she was 3 months old, 15 months old, and 2.5 years old. I missed over a year of seeing her because of the pandemic. But I will be there for her 4th birthday this year. I can only imagine how much she has grown!

Perhaps I am pruning her to like Pittsburgh sports like the rest of us. As she grows, I will tell her stories of the different types of insects on the quilt. The scientists are all ladies and doing cool science things—that she can talk about with her scientist auntie, me! I want to inspire my niece to dream big.

When I go visit in a few months, I will bring her brother his quilt too. I have not met him yet; he is almost a year old. “Aryeh,” my nephew, means “lion.” So his quilt has a lion and animals theme. I wanted to make another pillow-quilt for him. This time instead of a zipper, we are using strings sewn on to the face like whiskers to tie it shut.

For the corner squares, I used “Save the…” animal prints. I chose four: cheetah, tiger, orangutan, and rhino. I know they are not all African animals, but part of his lessons growing up will be thinking about where animals live and how to conserve them. Each square focused on one animal print and was combined with bug and bee prints. Again, I am ingraining him with insects at an early age! The last main print that went through all four squares was a treasure map. I only included small sections so Aryeh would be able to try to piece the puzzle together. An adventure on his blanket.

To make the quilt special, I wanted to use my dad’s father’s old Navy blanket. It was hard wool and itchy but would be good on the outside of the quilt. However, unfortunately it did not survive all of these years since WWII when he served.

While trying to think what to use, my mother offered her father’s old blanket. I stared at her blankly. I had never seen or even heard of this before. Apparently, the blanket had been kept safe in a trunk for 40 plus years. She said he was always cold and this was one of his favorite blankets. This was the blanket he kept at his office and she knew she wanted to keep it after he died. My mom mailed the wool blanket to me so I could use it.

Again, I reached a point of I having to cut this special material. I did not want to mess it up, so I let Ella do the honors. I took a video so my mom could be a part of the crafting.

I am amazed how emotional it was to cut into these fabrics. My heart raced faster as we did the deed. For the Pittsburgh skyline shirt and my mom’s father’s blanket, the cuts were a severing of something that was. A point of no return. There is no undo button. A cut breaks apart a loved item. We cannot again have the item that what was before, once that first cut was made.

However, cutting the fabrics was also the start of something new. The creation of something that will last longer than the tattered shirt and stuffed away blanket. Now we have new memories preserved for a new generation.

My mom doesn’t know this yet, but I am making her a pillow with the leftover blanket so she can keep a piece of it too. A memory of her father, perhaps more accessible now. I never met my grandfather, so having this blanket as part of the quilt will help his memory live on.

This time, I sewed the whole center square. I took all the fabric pieces home and cut and sewed it on my own. At my place, I took out my scissor options. I have my dull crappy ones that I use for every art project. I have an ok pair—that is used for nice cuts like on paper or other long cuts. Then I have the nice sharp pair. Now this pair does not compare to Ella’s. They have no case. They are not special fabric grade. But the are much sharper and reserved for special occasions. I keep them in a tucked away space, so they are not used accidentally.

I made a lion’s face, using the left-over fabrics. The body of an orangutan looks like the nose of a . Bugs make up the eyes. I am using the tans, to make up the rest of the face. And of course, I am using fur. This blanket will be lined on the outside with a 3” fur boarder, to look like a mane. My face square has fur surrounding it. I made the ears pop up off the square in 3D. I also used my grandfather’s blanket as the inside of the ears.

My inspiration for these quilted gifts is a mix of all these experiences. I want to be able to share stories of my travels to China with my niece and nephew. Plus, I can share the love between me and my friends, Lara and Ella. The quilts have built in lessons for them too. Teaching my niece and nephew about science and bugs, about sports and conservation, and about their family members letting the stories all live on in the quilt.

I love to experience life; this includes traveling to new places and try out new things. I love to chat with my friends and explore together. I enjoy telling stories and look forward to continuing to share these quilts with my brother’s kids. Making these quilts are memories I will cherish. The home-made cuts that I made will show…but that is ok. That is part of the quilt; that is part of life.

I create my own happiness. My experiences and memories bring me joy. The anticipation of how my niece and nephew will enjoy these quilts for years to come is the icing on the cake. I offer my creativity into their lives. My love shines through in the things I make.