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    • Tartans: McClure and McLean
    • Story of My Life
    • Elena
    • Spring/Daybreak 1948-1968
    • Izi
    • Mahty
    • Non-Chuck-Bill
    • Gregg Lake
    • Kimonos
    • Summer/High Noon 1968-1988
    • Butterfield Farm
    • Tristan Michael
    • Morgan McLean
    • Ocean
    • Spiral
    • Lessons Learned
    • Autumn/Twilight 1988-2008
    • John Elberfeld
    • My Brilliant Career
    • Winter/Nighttime 2008-Present
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CIRCLES OF MY LIFE
by Jane McLean, Belfast ME, December 2023
 


“Round every circle another can be drawn; there is no end in nature, but every end is a beginning.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

   I am a storyteller and a writer. I wanted to tell the story of my life as a memoir in the tradition of the very moving When We Were the Kennedys by Monica Wood. I studied the genre with Alison Wearing, but my writing vessel came up empty. Was there another way to tell my story, perhaps a visual representation, like Abbie Read’s deconstructed books in Library? 
   
Sadly, our daughter-in-law passed away in 2022. She was a very talented fiber artist whose memory I wanted to honor. Could I commemorate my 75th birthday by creating a work in fabric, thread, and buttons instead of paper and pencil?
   
Circles of My Life tells my story in twenty twelve-inch circular panels arranged somewhat chronologically. Four panels depicting Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter guide the viewer along my journey. Using meaningful fabrics and personal embellishments, I loosely followed Rachaeldaisy’s ideas in her book Whizz Bang! Adventures with Folded Fabric Quilts to create scenes based on the traditional Folded Star and Pine Burr patchwork patterns.

Please
  • DO NOT TOUCH the panels--the fiber art pieces are fragile
  • DO EXPLORE the panel labeled OK TO TOUCH
  • DO LOOK for McClure and/or McLean tartans in every panel
  • DO USE your cell phone to scan the QR codes and learn more about each panel
  • DO TAKE photos--give me credit if sharing online
Very special thanks to:
  • Brenda Harrington, Assistant Director/Adult Programming, Belfast Free Library, Belfast ME More info here
  • Abbie Read, Maine artist More info here
  • Alison Wearing, Canadian memoirist and teacher, Memoir Writing Ink More info here
  • Rachaeldaisy, Australian quilter, Rachaeldaisy Designs  More info here   
  • John Elberfeld, my husband and greatest supporter who built LESSONS LEARNED, did the math for NON-CHUCK-BILL and HOME, and helped construct the exhibit
  • Nancy H, my sister, who introduced me to Rachaeldaisy and critiqued my work for a year 
Thanks also to my family and friends, Knit2Gether group, quilt shows, yard sales; in Belfast: Fiddlehead Artisan Supply, Heavenly Yarns, Jamie's Miniatures; and the big boxes  JoAnn, Mardens, and Michael's.
​
Thank you for visiting my exhibit. I hope it inspires you to tell your story.!


Jane McLean (it rhymes)
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