Teacher Name: Amanda Nadig
Grade: 12
Materials: Fabric and thread
Dimensions: 15 x 19 inches
Description: I made my quilt because I wanted to capture a sentimental memory that I cherish. I sewed in a picture of a tree decoration that I encountered on my trip to Thailand in 2019. The reason why I chose that image is because from an outside perspective some people might just think that the tree was captured because I grew it myself and I wanted to show it for its beauty, my pride or significant value. However, it is nothing more than a fake decoration. The decoration itself holds no actual value to me, but what it represents is the wonderful memories that I made on a trip. The tree decoration was in a museum in Thailand and it was my first time ever being there. My family was on a tour and we got to explore a lot of Thailand and its landmarks, traditions/customs and food. It was such a beautiful experience. However, Thailand was just a small part of my trip. The main destination was actually Vietnam – where my parents were born. Until that trip, the last time that I had been in Vietnam was almost 10 years ago. It had been 10 years since I saw my cousins, aunts and uncles on my mom’s side of the family. My excuse for not going was because of school, but in reality it was because the conditions in Vietnam did not live up to “my” standards. However, after finally getting there all I could focus on was the nostalgia of everything and the excitement that was arising within me. I had such an amazing time there because I got to revisit my childhood memories and spend time with my family after so long. I didn’t even want to leave when the trip was over – I had post-vacation depression. The quilt symbolizes not only the wonderful new memories that I made in Vietnam and Thailand, but it also represents how one should never judge or take simple things for granted.