“Curvy Caterpillar was born in Symphony Woods. He woke up alone and frightened, unsure of what he was and definitely unsure of what he was supposed to become. After a little bit of time passed, the Caterpillar decided that he couldn’t wait around forever. So he got started on making his little cocoon. He wasn’t sure if it was the right technique or if he was doing it quite right. But he kept going onward, crafting what felt right at the time and sometimes going forward even if he wasn’t sure it was the right direction. Eventually it came time to hang up the cocoon so that he could begin metamorphosis, but once again he was lost. He felt lonely, floating around in a world where he knew nothing. Ultimately, he just picked a tree. One that was close and looked like it could support Curvy Caterpillar’s cocoon, which had gotten massive. After setting up his newfound home, Curvy Caterpillar crawled into his cocoon for the first time. Seeing it up close, he realized that even though he didn’t know what he was doing at first, he learned to trust himself and created something that was perfect in his own special way.”

 

I haven’t sewn or stitched in more than five years. Something that was once familiar can feel so foreign and distant in that amount of time. When I attempted to make this piece, I was afraid that I had no idea what I was doing—that it was going to turn out wrong. But once it was finished and I got a look at the fruit of my labor, I realized that I hadn’t forgotten how to create. I just needed to trust myself and start again.