Fiber Art Culture

February 9, 2026 Sea to Sky 2025

by Madeline Gavin

Throughout my life, both science and fiber crafts have been a major through line. My mother was not only a science teacher, but she was also a quilter who taught me science and traditional crafts. As I grew up, my passion for both increased. When I got to the University of Maine, I decided to continue with my love of science by studying earth and environmental sciences. During my time here, I have also discovered a passion for other fiber crafts such as knitting and cross stitching. These forms of art are not only good for your mental health, but they also have deep ties to culture in many different communities. When I learned that our Sea-to-Sky class would be going to Iceland I was very excited. Not only because of the amazing geologic landscape there, but also because of its rich history and culture surrounding fiber arts, specifically knitting. These facts made me want to combine art and science in my project. The goal going in was to combine science communication and local fiber art culture into my project.

Figure 1. Eyjafjallajökull Glacier lateral GPR profile. Both the x and y axes display distance in meters. This profile is post-processed, and the data have been stacked to give a more accurate profile. The image shows the bedrock topography as well as the surface and some kind of interface at a depth of approximately 7m. Data processed by Seth Campbell.

For the science communication aspect of my project, I chose to explore some of my passions for glacier science, I ended up focusing on subglacial dynamics and formations. We conducted a radar survey of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier and were able to make a glacier profile. This profile gave us an understanding of what was occurring under the ice surface. We can clearly see the bedrock, layers of snow above, and evidence of an interface located about 7 meters below the surface (Figure 1).

I utilized the radar profile we created to help make my cross-stitch piece. I initially created a pattern prior to the trip so I could work on it while in Iceland. After getting a full radar profile I was able to adjust the pattern to fit the information I wanted. I tried my best to include traditional motifs in the piece while also adding aspects of how the science worked. I included a simplified version of the radar profile, a basic diagram of how radar works, a representation of the glacier, and traditional Icelandic motifs.

Cross stitch piece laid out on the ground in the outdoors

While making the pattern was fun, the most impactful part of the project was the time and effort put into it. The pattern consists of almost 7,000 individual stitches and took me between 40-70 hours of work to complete over the course of 4 months. Fiber arts are slow and meticulous, each piece created is a labor of love and passion. I learned a lot during the course of making this piece. What stood out most is the connection I felt to Iceland throughout stitching. While I worked on the piece in the field, stitching on rocks and glaciers, I also worked on it in my home, around my friends and family. Every time I look at the piece I am reminded of the experiences I had and the time I took to create the piece. It is tactile and represents me wholly. It represents my passions for science and art, as well as my love for other cultures, and the connections we have with one another through traditional crafts.