Pieced and Quilted with Love and Prayers!

I have some strong feelings about my own quilts and how they are quilted. I never knew that I felt so strongly about it until this week. I believe that every quilt I make is made to be used and loved. Each one contains a part of me. When I make a quilt it is sewn with love and most are sew with prayers for the recipient, as well. If I can not feel the love and joy, I will actually stop and try to figure out what I can do with what I have, or just bag it and hope that I will figure out what to do with all the pieces. I have only bagged 3 in my life and they are all still bagged. Someday Jamie will have to wonder about why I left these "treasures".

In several discussions this week, I found myself saying that I think the most important part of my quilts is the piecing and the quilting is something that adds a little to it. Others believe that the quilting is as important or more important than the quilt top. Don't get me wrong--When I start up the HQ, I work to make my quilting be a positive addition to the quilt. I plan out what I am going to do and take the time to pick out any areas that I feel detract from the look, but I do not showcase my quilting over and above the actual piecing.

I love to go to the big quilt shows and see the prize winning quilts. I admire the work and the overall beauty of each whole quilt. I know that these quilts are works of art and so does everyone else. I will be in DesMoines at the end of the month to see some of the fabulous works of art simply because I appreciate beauty.

However, my personal feelings tell me that the true beauty of my kind of quilting is offering warm hugs and prayers to those in need. How many of these award winning quilts ever get to be wrapped around someone who is in pain, feeling blue, or just wanting a hug? How many will every be used to cuddle a baby or be made into a tent for a toddler? I think that there are different types and uses for every kind of quilt. I have chosen to make mine and the ones that I quilt for others be ones that are used, loved, and frequently washed.