Follow your heArt

Last week I introduced you to a style of art quilt that combined patchwork squares with fluid hand stitching. The piece that got me started playing with this style happened somewhat by surprise. It started at a time when someone close to me was going through a very bad time. I was feeling sad for them, and helpless to do anything to make a difference. In an effort to distract myself, I pulled out blue scrap bag and started cutting an assortment of squares and rectangles. I chose the blue scraps specifically to match my blue mood. When I found the one scrap with the small red heart printed on it, it became the anchor for my improvising, and I began to refer to the piece by the name “Heart Blues.” I started to quilt gentle waves across the piece, but the waves began to morph into tight spirals that seem now to reflect the inner turmoil that I was going through at the time.

“Heart Blues,” 2023. 11.5” x 12.5” Not for sale.

Heart Blues took on an even deeper meaning for me when, by virtue of its small size and portability, it was something I could do during the long hours sitting at my mother’s hospital bedside during the final days of her life. The stitching became a form of meditation, and a place to put my grief. When I look at this piece now, I feel grateful to have passed through those hard times and come out the other side.

Don’t forget, everyone who signs up for the newsletter by midnight Central Time on October 15th will be entered into a draw for a custom art quilt in this style based on the prompts the winner provides. The winner of the draw will be announced in the first newsletter on Tuesday, October 17th. You will be able to specify a colour theme and a mood or idea you want your custom piece to convey. (Maybe something a bit less heavy than the mood that inspired this piece — but I’m open to your ideas!) If you want you can even send me a photo showing where you want to display your art quilt, and you can specify the size (within a range).