Scenes of Summer

Hi everyone. How was your summer? Mine was filled with extraordinary moments shared with extraordinary friends, like Wanda Hanson of Exuberant Color, who surprised me with one of her signature batik color-wash quilts. Isn't it stunning? Read more about it here. 

Of course, visits from quilters are always welcome, especially when they bring "show and tell." Here's Sheila with her Sunflower quilt and me with Wanda's Zig-Zags.

Jenny graced us with fresh-picked basil and cherry tomatoes from her garden. Jean shared a delicious peach cobbler, made with real Georgia peaches, and the best homemade blueberry pie I've ever tasted!

Local troubadour, Bill Glaysher, serenaded me one afternoon. Swoon! I even got a copy of his CD.

Which enabling friend helped make this online purchase? I couldn't resist getting a few new American Jane fabrics in summer hues.

Bev volunteered to read aloud to me. If you've never heard To Kill a Mockingbird read by a veteran English teacher you don't know what you're missing!

I came across a new quilt book too. Gwen Marston's The Magic Forest features her small tree quilts some of which I've been lucky enough to see in person.

 

Jim and I even attended a bridal shower hosted by friends, Mark and Linda, for their daughter and son-in-law to be. What lured us out on a 97-degree day was the promise of mango mimosas and eight different kinds of cake. Believe me, it did not disappoint!

Thank you dear friends for making my summer so special! We certainly made some great memories, didn't we?  XO

A Spiritual Gift

"If you are a craftsman…only look at your tools, your needle, your thimble…your scales, your measures, and you will find this saying written on them… 'Use me toward your neighbor, as you would want him to act towards you with that which is his.'"   Martin Luther

As new members of our church, we were asked to assess our "spiritual gifts and passions" and consider applying then to various church ministries. As a longtime quilt maker, naturally I was drawn to liturgical art and spent several years crafting banners for worship.

Even though my "making" days are over, I can still make things happen from time to time. After a persistent calling to contribute one more banner to Rejoice, I finally decided to commission one! 

It's the work of my friend, Wanda Hanson, who's a prodigious quilt maker and genius when it comes to using color and design. She blends hundreds of fabrics from her extensive collection into extraordinary one-of-a-kind works of art. After seeing her latest colorwash quilts, I knew one would be perfect for the sanctuary at Rejoice!

The first time I approached Wanda about making a banner, she declined. But at some point, my calling became her calling too. Eventually, she embraced the project as a creative challenge and opportunity to inspire others through her God-given skills.

We chose the Creation Story as our theme, specifically "Let there be light." portion. visual impact Creative license Focusing on the emotional truth or style of a story instead of strict reality. Ours is a sort of Bible/Big Bang mashup which includes both scriptural and scientific rationale for the origin of the universe. 

Wanda sorted, cut, arranged, and sewed hundreds of luminous batiks, each a different color and print, to create “Let there be Light.” Here are just a few samples of the 356 3"x 6” pieces she used.

And here's Wanda with her fabulous creation!

Could there be a better backdrop for worship than this glorious riot of color?

Let There Be Light

69" x 93"  

2015

  

Visit Wanda's blog, Exuberant Color, to see more of her exquisite work!