Imagine

One of the great things about being part of an art quilt group is that it can make you stretch your boundaries--to step out of your particular box.  My box USUALLY contains a lot of flowers.  Gardening and flowers have always been a part of my life (although not so much this summer with all of this heat and sandy soil).  Our group decided that our challenge for the last quarter would be to create a quilt based on a song, poem or book. 

I guess I could have chosen something that was based on a flower, but that wasn't was came immediately to mind.  It didn't take but about 10 seconds to come up with John Lennon's Imagine.  I didn't actually hear that song until years after it was published--and most likely until after John had been killed (which made it more than a little poignant)--but when I did hear it, it made such an impression that I have carried it with me ever since.

So, this is my interpretation.  I am imagining a place where differences in religions no longer cause wars and hatred.  The people at the bottom of the quilt are carrying the symbols of their particular religion and offering them up to the highest power.  As they travel upwards, the symbols lose their negative power and meld into a community of peace and love.  Yes, I guess that you could say that I'm a dreamer.

Asheville Quilt Show 2010

Each year I really look forward to the Asheville Quilt Show because it is held at the North Carolina Arboretum--which over the years has increased in beauty and maturity.  This year it was hot--like so many other places--so some of the flowers passed their prime before the usual time, but it was still beautiful there and a wonderful setting for a wonderful quilt show.
The unwonderful thing was that most of my pictures didn't turn out too well.  I seem to have been struck with the "shakey camera syndrome."  Of course, it may have been that I didn't have my glasses on and didn't notice that I didn't have my anti-shake setting enabled.  Who knows.

Anyway, I did get a decent picture of the 75th anniversary quilt that guild members made to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Those of us who volunteered to make a block were given the exact dimensions of the finished block and the sky fabric.  Some of you have seen on this blog the block that I made--the one in the center bottom with the fox and the owl.  Each person decided what to include in her own block--as long as the coordinator didn't say that it was already chosen for another block.  And then, we turned them in--to take their next step towards completion.  I was truly amazed at how wonderful the finished quilt looks and am honored to have been able to participate in this kind of project.  The Blue Ridge Parkway is there for all of us to travel on and enjoy--an opportunity to slow down and appreciate to wonder of the mountains and the life they contain.

I did get a picture of my favorite quilt at the show.  This is about the aftermath of the disaster in Haiti.  I thought that the colors were so dynamic and the pregnant woman was so appealing.  It is almost as if she's holding her swollen belly as a form of prayer and protection for her unborn child.  One of the members of my art group said that when she looks at a quilt it should tell a story.  I think that each of us can come away from this quilt with a powerful story.

One of the things that these recent times has brought in to many of our lives is change--some welcome and some not-so-welcome.  One of the results of change in my daughter-in-law's life is that she has gotten rid of almost all of her quilting life and, as a result, I was the recipient of quite a bit of her fabric.  It was a very sad time for me as I looked through and touched each piece of it because it represented so much more than the fabric itself.  One thing she didn't get rid of were some of the quilt kits that she had purchased and never gotten around to making.  So what I did as a thank you was to put together the Christmas block-of-the-month that she--and I--had gotten about 8 years ago.  I finished and quilted mine at that time with needleturn applique and this one for her I did with the fusible applique method (I DID want to finish it BEFORE Christmas!).  So, this is my thank you to her and I will get it quilted in time for the holidays--a season in which I hope we will all have much to be thankful for and will be looking forward to new beginnings in the new year.

Quiltfest 2010

This past weekend I spent two days teaching at Quiltfest in Jonesborough, Tennessee--a wonderful quilting weekend sponsored by Tennessee Quilts.  For those of you who aren't aware of this quilt shop, it is an experience not to be missed if you are in the area.  Fabric, fabric everywhere--and not an ugly fabric in the entire shop!
I taught two classes--Snow Family and Natural Fibers.  The women who took these classes were so wonderful.  Everyone was of good humor and we were a little community unto ourselves during our time together.  The main focus of my teaching was not necessarily to actually finish the project, but rather to learn a different technique.  In both of these classes, the focus was on making fusible applique an easier and more precise process than previously experienced through the use of tracing paper and a teflon applique sheet. (I DID ask them to send me the pictures of the finished projects, however.  I'm hopeful).  And it was so exciting to see them excited about learning a new process.  The very first thing we did in the Snow Family class was to sew a curved seam background--and the fear disappeared when they realized just how easy it was.  Good work ladies!

Here are a few pictures of the partially finished projects.

The Jonesborough area of Tennessee is such a beautiful area of the state--not in the mountains but with plenty of rolling hills and open spaces.  The downtown area is charming with unique and relaxing restaurants (am I sounding like the Chamber of Commerce?)  And like many areas in the Southern Highlands, crafts are treasured and artists are appreciated. 

There was an quilt exhibit held in conjunction with Quiltfest and it was so interesting to see how the quilt artists from that area of Tennessee responded to the theme.  It was a judged exhibit with some pretty nice prizes awarded by the judge, Melinda Bula--a wonderful quilt artist herself.

And throughout the building in which Quiltfest was held, there were absolutely gorgeous quilts hung all around.  I came home inspired and recharged.  Ready to go again.