17" x 46"
private collection
One of my first blog posts was about being blocked. Though my life and it's tatters were the cause for the block, this quilt was what precipitated it. Before my life split apart, I had agreed to do this quilt for an auction. The quilt is of the Ashton Meeting House at Sandy Spring Friends School, the place where the upper school students and faculty gathered twice a week in Meeting for Worship. Quaker meeting is a time of silent contemplation and of sharing our truths in that worshipful silence. The Meeting House was an important place in my spiritual, emotional, and intellectual growth while I was teaching at Sandy Spring; it was, as the best worship houses are, a sanctuary.
While I was grieving my old life, I couldn't work on this sacred place. So, I asked the quiltart list for feedback, and from their advice, I made an agreement with myself to work small, to do what I could do, and to heal. For a year now, I haven't finished a quilt that was larger than 12 x 12". Just as I was growing anxious to work on larger projects, I found the strength and inspiration to finish this quilt. It is much better than it would have been if I'd finished it 1 1/2 years ago. It is also in a very different style than I'm currently working in, so it felt strange to work on it. I think the finished quilt captures the essence of this sacred place for me. Thanks to Barb for waiting so patiently while I healed.
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9 comments:
Wow Lori! This is so much different than the pieces I've seen you working on. This is great and I'm so glad you finished it!
Well done!
Hi Lori.. this is beautiful!And I am glad you
found your balance again. Life can really do 'stuff' to us!
I follow your blog regularly, the best now with bigger pieces.
So beautiful. This piece conveys a spirit of peace even through its picture in my browser. I imagine that it would become a sanctuary to the eye in person. Thank you for sharing.
That is wonderful. I think you captured the serenity beautifully! (I am a member of RSoF.)
I love the composition and the shape! Very beautiful.
Dear Lori,
What a beautiful piece of work! the long and narrow format seems like a glance out of a window in passing, at a place one will always remember.
Glad life is getting better for you.
Linda
QuiLt LadY aT sAn doT r R Dot cOm
I think it's lovely , Lori. I'm glad that you persevered.
Thank you all for your comments. Michigoose (Lisa), I realized when I put this quilt up, that it is very different from the quilts my Ohio quilt buddies are used to seeing. I'm glad to have finished it, as I'm enjoying my new improvisatinal mode of working for now. Carole, thank you for the wishes about my bigger works; I hope you'll stick around to see them. Kim and Cynthia, I'm glad you can feel the serenity through the quilt, I hope the owner will, too. Pam, I love it when you say my composition is good; as you know, I trust your eye. I do like this banner type format, and I have some more quilts planned for this shape. Linda, I love that image of a view from a window. Norma, thank you for always being so positive and encouraging.
It's important to respect that inner voice and need and for good reason, yes? It's a beautiful quilt :)
On another note, was it you who said you had aprons for the radical craft show? If so Nancy and I will be at the ys art space next Tuesday at 10am and hope to hang all the work by lunchtime. Also nancy is in charge of the october quilt show at ys arts if you are planning to submit something :)
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