Quilt of the Month

Eight months ago, yes EIGHT, I found out that my quilt, Positive Illuminations, was accepted as February's Modern Quilt Guild Quilt of the Month!!

Positive Illuminations

I was asked to share with as few people as possible that my quilt would be a Quilt of the Month in 2018 which lead to some pretty interesting conversations from time to time.  I'd like to point out that I never actually lied to anyone about whether I had a quilt accepted but would usually deflect answering directly by talking about the submission process or my two quilts I did not have accepted for 2016 and 2017.

Positive Illuminations

My original inspiration for this quilt was the acknowledgement that whatever creative talent I have is a gift from God and I wanted to honor Him in my work.  One of my favorite passages in the Bible is 1John 1:5-10,

This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is Light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His Word is not in us.

This verse was my design inspiration, along with the classic churn dash block, and I think this design is a good representation of the verse above in so many ways. 

Positive Illuminations

I made a second version of this quilt for my daughter.  I don't typically remake quilts but I love this design and it comes together so quickly, yay chain piecing, I couldn't help but make another.

Positive Illuminations

This quilt is a testament to perseverance and not unlike my QuiltCon magazine experience, I had to put my past two rejections behind, learn from the experience and keep improving.

Collegiate (left), Quarter Hours (right)

Collegiate and Quarter Hours were my first two attempts at the quilt of the month.  They weren't bad designs and actually I use the Quarter Hours quilt to teach a curve piecing workshop, but I completely understand why they were passed up.

I hope this pattern will be successful for the Modern Quilt Guild and the members will like it.  As a quilt designer and pattern writer it's so amazing seeing people enjoying your designs through making them and putting their own touches into the their work.

I hope to see many of you at QuiltCon next week!!