Rock Me Mama Like a Wagon Wheel ….

In June, my daughter, Evelyn, and I went to a girl scout encampment at Greenbriar State Park. At the end of the day, there was a campfire and the resident naturalist, Beth, played her guitar and sang folk ballads. Her voice was beautiful and clear and she told stories of the Appalachian mountains in between songs. We learned a bit of the history and hardships of the people who sang the songs.

The songs she chose were in chronological order, beginning with “Wayfaring Stranger”, a folk song from the 1800’s. The last song she sang was “Wagon Wheel”. As soon as she began singing, I felt the connection of the past with the present, how we are all traveling through this life, at different times but with essentially the same needs and dreams. The old and the new didn’t seem so far apart when we could share the same songs.  Suddenly, I was stirred  to create my own song so I would remember the emotional bond of the evening. Since I don’t write songs, I designed a quilt. So this quilt is made in honor of my forebears in Appalachia. It’s called “Wagon Wheel”.

The quilt and pattern are available in my Etsy shop, here.