Awesomeness...

That could easily be the title of almost every post in my little world, but it is super true for this one!

We'll start with National Quilting Day - which just happens to be today!  If you want to know a little bit of the history of this day, click here.

A super piece of awesomeness is, because it is National Quilting Day, The Quilt Show is sharing Episodes 1-13 for free all weekend.  WOW!  Hello... get over there and check it out, well, right after you finish here.  So, after you read about all of my awesomeness you can grab a cup of coffee and get lost in quiltyland for the entire weekend.

Now, don't stop with the free weekend - as if that's not enough.  Some of you know, back in November I taped an episode for The Quilt Show - awesome right?  Well guess what?  It airs this Monday - March 17 - total coolness, right?!!  So make sure you watch!  Here's a link so you can watch the trailer:   http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/blog.php/blog_id/6396

If you're a member of The Quilt Show, I hope you watch the show on Monday!  If you're not a member, you really might want to consider it so you don't miss any new episodes!

Okay, now on to more awesomeness... like this post could possibly get any better?!!

I would love to share my latest quilt with you, The Thing with Feathers.  

I started this quilt for the Theme category at MQS.  This years theme is Up, Up, and Away.  Immediately I was thinking birds flying, a hand reaching toward the sky.  I was talking my idea out with my son's girlfriend and she said "the thing with feathers by Emily Dickinson"... YES!  That's it, then like wildfire my idea took off.  A drab, stormy sky, a dark sorrowful hand reaching for hope, and the birds in beautiful colors.

So I took some white fabric out in the yard.  I sprayed some areas with water and left other areas dry.  I then took some charcoal grey and light grey dyes in spray bottles and I had about twenty minutes of fun.

I was really impressed with how it turned out.  Don't you love when what you are doing turns out exactly like the idea in your head?  Great stuff!

So then I spent many hours painting the sparrows, here's just a couple of pics:

 

And then begins the quilting... my favorite part!

So there is so much meaning in this quilt...

The dark sorrowful hand.  Although it is full of fear, sorrow, pain, etc., it still has hope (feathers and swirls stitched in dark charcoal thread).  The hand is reaching for HOPE (the thing with feathers), in it's reaching it is emitting more hope - the quilted feathers.  What you can't really see is the feathers, as well as the swirls behind the birds, are a pastel variegated thread (little glimmers of hope).  And although the sky is dark and dismal, there is so much movement, the singing.  It all came together so perfectly.  I truly love this quilt - it is a favorite!  So if you are attending MQS you'll be able to see its debut.  But I'm sure it'll be out-and-about at many other shows as well!

Just remember, no matter what you are going through, no matter what is going on in your world, don't give up -- there is always HOPE - just reach for it!