My Quilt

Awhile back I told you that I am learning to piece quilts and that I was excited about the quilt I was working on. I told you that if it turned out I'd show it to you. Well yesterday I finished it, and here it is. I took the one-day old pictures of all my children to a copy center and had them reproduced in sepia on fabric, and then I put them in the windows and doors of this house. Over the house the pattern called for a star, but I put an angel there which represents our daughter that died at birth.

I've included two pictures because one shows the quilting stitches that were done by a professional quilter and the other shows the quilt hanging so you can see the full quilt with borders and binding.

To do this quilt I learned to applique and I thank my good friend Roma for patiently teaching me how to do that and another good friend Barbara for guiding and helping me with other quilting things.

It is only my second quilt and it has many mistakes in it and there was a lot of unpicking done in the process, but I learned so much and am so thrilled with it. I've made a family heirloom!

As I said in my entry before, there are so many metaphors between quilting and life. This quilt happened one stitch at a time. I'd get one instruction, do what I was told, and then go back to learn the next thing I needed. It took months, but one step at a time it developed until yesterday when I took the last stitch. I love the feeling of accomplishment and every time I look at this quilt, I'm going to feel the joy all over again.

Quilted

I mentioned before that I’m learning to do patchwork quilting. I’m enjoying the adventure. I’m also seeing such a metaphor in patchwork quilts about people. One of the first things I was taught is that when picking out the materials to be used in a patchwork quilt the most important thing is contrast. You need dark materials and light materials. You need various patterns. If every square were exactly the same, the quilt wouldn’t be very interesting. It is the contrast between the patterns and colors and intensity that make a patchwork quilt beautiful.

The same is true of people. The strength that comes as we gather in congregations or families is brought about by contrast not sameness. If we all had the same opinions or experiences or thought processes there would be no synergy. But because we are all different, when we come together we each add something to the whole—we make it better and more interesting.

As I looked around at all the people in my congregation at Church yesterday I was struck by how much each one of those people gives to me by enhancing the “pattern” the group makes. I saw quiet people who never say a word but add their warmth. Vocal people who speak up every few minutes during a lesson because they need to be heard. Thoughtful people who add intelligent information. Heartful people who bring love and emotion. Consistent people who bring courage and stability. Joyful people who enliven. Hurting people who take their turn at being the one who, for the time being, needs to draw on other’s strengths and thereby allows others to serve and grow. Every person in that congregation adds something to the pattern whether they realize it or not and without their piece, the pattern would be incomplete—would not be a beautiful.

When we back up and see ourselves as a piece of a bigger pattern, we gain a whole new perspective on life. We realize that instead of simply making ourselves look good, part of the task of life is to make the whole quilt look good. We give what we have to the whole and let the Lord, the Master Quilter, determine how that whole is put together.