1. Retirement, 2. .Oh Holy Night - Close Up, 3. Beading on Ring Around the Roses, 4. It is Well, applique close-up, 5. Project Quilting- Week 2- Making Music-Detail, 6. Across the Stars Created with fd's Flickr Toys

The Challenge:  Making Music

Quilter:  KKreig

Retirement

Inspirational Song:  “You and I” by Ingrid Michaelson

My daughter listens to a wide variety of music that ranges from Ke$ha to Broadway to Disney to '80s rock so my choices were large for this challenge. I started discussing it with her and the song "You and I" by Ingrid Michaelson came up. I like how she sings "Let's get rich and buy our parents' homes in the south of France." My husband and I are now waiting for our retirement home in the south of France.

I used the technique and style from the Accidental Landscape patterns to make this quilt.

This quilt is 14x16 inches and I create in Chandler, Arizona.

 

Quilter:  WayMooreFunQuilts

Oh Holy Night

Inspirational Song:  Oh Holy Night

When I saw the theme for this challenge was making music, and we were to interpret a favorite song, I thought it would be fun to recreate the nativity, having just enjoyed Christmas just a month ago. I searched the web for copyright-free images and found a child's coloring page. Because I didn't want to reverse it, using fusibles was out, and tracing individual pieces onto tissue was the way to proceed.
In a confusion of little paper pieces all over the sewing table, I was finally able to match up and build the scene from the manger out.
I would have stopped with the center being the final piece, but that point at the top makes it hard to hang. As I was thinking about my next move, it was our daughter, Katy, who suggested putting the stained-glass-looking batiks in the surround.
I probably used a mile of black thread satin stitching around all the pieces, for sure four bobbins full!

This quilt is 14 x 16" and was made in Tucson, Arizona during the week of January 23.

Quilter: Pamela Quilts

aka the Designer on Block 3 of the Home Sweet Home Quilt Along

Ring Around the Roses

Inspirational Song:  Ring Around the Rosies

After spending several days trying to come up with a song and idea for a quilt I finally settled on something simple :) My desire to play with my June Taylor ruler and shuffling this leftover piece of fabric around for the last week came together with the title of that familiar childhood song - Ring around the Rosies. I immediately pictured a ring of flowers around the rose fabric, perfect for using the ruler to cut the twisted blocks. This quilt measures 17 1/2 inches square and was created by me in Coos Bay, OR. The centers of the pink and blue fabrics are beaded.

You can see more about the process on my blog: pamelaquilts.blogspot.com/2012/01/project-quilting-32-and...

Quilter:  Sharon H

It Is Well With My Soul

Inspirational Song:  It Is Well With My Soul

I loved this challenge! It was my first attempt at appliqué and I will definitely do this a lot more! It's like scrapbooking with fabric. Note: the blue looking fabric is actually purple....don't know why it looks so different.

INSPIRATION: Last week I spent most of it in bed in severe pain and fatigue. After years of struggle, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia last fall. Winters are more difficult for me and I struggle with depression with the shorter days and lack of sunlight. Last week I had a severe reaction to a new med and really struggled to regain my strength.

When the challenge came out last Sunday, I had several ideas but couldn't settle on any. Then on Monday I had an evaluation with a Fibromyalgia Pain Clinic. I arrived in severe pain and spent much of the time crying with a Dr. who finally understood what I'm living with. But then he challenged me and asked if I could/would participate with their program. I thought, "Yeah, duh, I'm here."

But then I realized that I had a choice to make. I "could" participate in the program as a passive participant and "hope" it would help. Or, I could really choose not to participate and just let the disease progress and gradually get worse. Or, I could choose to invest fully and learn how to manage my pain better and try to build up my strength for a better future. It would include physical therapy and exercise which I honestly can't imagine how I'll do it. But, I "do" have a choice.

But, regardless of this program, I could choose to "be well"....even if not always physically, then emotionally and spiritually. There are things I can do to help with my pain and fatigue, but there are many aspects of this disease that are out of my control. How will I "choose" to live with this? Will I be a victim, or will I live with gratitude and contentment? Will I trust God in the midst of the severe pain? Or will I lash out in anger at God and the ones I love? I hope - and want to - live with trust, gratitude, and contentment. I don't want to be a victim to this disease. I am making a choice NOT to be a victim to fibromyalgia.

That's when this song came to me. There are many times I'm in church when this song starts and I really "don't" feel well. But, after singing through the song, I'm usually filled with hope, encouragement, and reassurance that I can trust God no matter what. At the end of the song, I feel such a connection with God and a real sense of community with those around me and those who have gone before me. I'm reminded of my grandmother's faith and the trials of many others, and my own struggles are put into perspective.

I decided to make this quilt as my personal reminder that this is the turning point for me with my fibromyalgia. Regardless of what's going on with my body, I WILL be well because of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

CREATIVE PROCESS:

I chose a grey background to represent the cloudy days of winter and depression. When I looked through my fabric stash, these colors jumped out at me as ones that make me happy. They are a real contrast to the gray days.

Each bar represents a phrase or word from the chorus. Where there are two lines overlapping is when women echo the men. Just as the chorus starts off low and quiet and raises in intensity, conviction, and higher notes, so do the bars on the quilt, with the last line reaching up towards heaven. The circles rising from the bars represent the voices coming together and lifting praises to God. The circle fabric at the top represents all the voices in heaven - the cloud of witnesses - who spur me on. The overlapping circles represent when our voices merge and all of heaven and earth are singing God's praises.

I did a satin stitch around the bars, the multitude of voices, and the larger circles. I did a raw edge appliqué on the smaller circles because sometimes when I start singing this song, I'm not sure if I'll end up singing with praise at the end. Sometimes I can barely choke out the words. Sometimes, I can only sit down in the pew, with tears streaming down my cheeks and pray that the words will take root in my heart as I listen to those around me sing. Those notes are less "grounded" and can float away and not participate with the others, or they can gradually join the others by the end of the song.

It is well (repeat)
with my soul (repeat)
It is well
It is well
With
My
Soul!

All the fabric, except the gray background, was from my stash. I just love how the top fabric is full of circles of different colors. I did a raw edge border. It measures 23" x 28" and will hang in my entry way where I pass it many times a day.

Quilter:  I’m Feelin Crafty

Row Row Row Your Boat Quilt

Song Inspiration: Row Row Row your boat

34x22

Seattle, WA

I got the email about the new challenge while I was on a play date with my son. While I was there his friend had handed me a little color coded piano music book. So I had that in my hand while I was reading the email! So of course I knew exactly what I was going to do for the challenge!

Soooo... Can you sing it with me?

Row Row Row your boat, gently down the stream,
Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily,
Life is but a dream.....

I blogged about it here.

***I’m Feelin Crafty would appreciate some constructive criticism on her piece – please click HERE to leave your comments!***

Quilter:  Electric Chic

Across the Stars

Inspirational Song:  “Across the Stars”

The song I chose was "Across the Stars" and it is the love theme for Anakin and Padme in Star Wars Attack of the Clones. I *love* Star Wars and this is my favorite song, ever!

The wonky stars in this quilt represent their love moving though time. The big star represent their early love that was untainted and pure. The middle set is much darker and represents how Anakin's decent in the Dark Side began to stain their love. In the last set, the two stars represent Luke and Leia, the black square represents Anakin's transformation in to Darth Vader and the plain square represents Padme's death.
I planned the colors around Padme's wardrobe while they were in love- most the travel attire and nightgowns. I used this link: starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Padmé_Amidala's_wardrobe

I created this quilt in Charlotte, NC for Project Quilting, Season 3, Challenge 2- Making Music. It is 31 inches square

***ElectricChic would appreciate some constructive criticism on her piece – please click HERE to leave your comments!***

      

Earlier Closer Looks:

• Closer Look, Part 1
• Closer Look, Part 2