Rhonda’s American Tapestry
Across America, Fall 2020
Knit Acrylic
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I was sent back home to Idaho, and like most, I was going stir crazy. I spontaneously built my small car into a livable camper for one, and I began a journey across the country, completely alone, hitting 21 states in 4 months, changing my entire concept of “home.” I started a travel journal, which lasted eight days before I stopped writing in it completely. Instead, I crocheted this blanket as a time capsule to prompt stories and memories, my first time making or using a crochet pattern. Each piece has its own meaning, all stitched together to create an abstracted map of the US. It is a work in progress, something to continue adding onto if I so desire, to complete all 50 states, and perhaps even make an international blanket.
Inspired by Quilting Bees, and the work of Kathryn Clark’s abstract quilting methods, I wanted the blanket to be more than just a flat surface. I added two little pockets with 3D objects, making the piece interactive. One has a tarantula, resembling the ones I saw crossing the road in Oklahoma, and one is a little stick figure, somewhat of an inside joke with a friend. The last element was the embroidery. I stitched on the dates and locations of each stop, putting a time marker on each place I went. It helps to guide you through the map, making my route somewhat traceable. The view of the back shows the unfinished ends of the embroidery, allowing it to be an ever evolving piece to add onto.
