This Rust Tex Challenge Quilt has been officially entered 2 days before the deadline.
Below are the two entry photos that were submitted:
Cow Pony Quilt
42 x 36 inches
I chose a striped green batik for the binding.
Cow Pony....Detail Image
I chose the threadwork as my detail image.
I would like to share an email conversation I had this morning with my friend Martha. Every quilt has a story...
LuAnn,
I have thoroughly enjoyed watching your progress on Dancer. I so appreciate seeing another quilter at work --- seeing the kinds of thread, needle, freezer paper (border), etc, and design progress that you use. You never go to the next step until you like the current one. So important, because it's harder to fix later down the line if you don't like what you did. I liked the tree immensely, then the leaves ... those last two finished it for me. Then of course, you machine-quilted the horse (I was happy to read that it takes a while for you too, 5 hours). Are we sick people to spend so much time at the sewing machine? I wonder if you feel any differently now after you have machine-quilted Dancer? Was it therapeutic after all? No need to answer that, just writing to show my appreciation. Thanks, Martha
Hi Martha,
Thanks for your thoughtful words and appreciation for the Cow Pony Quilt.
It is sweet of you to send me this email.
I am fortunate that this quilt was intended for the Rust Tex Challenge. If not, I would have packed it all away in the cupboard and never completed it. It was difficult to work on at first, I was still so tender and teary eyed.
What helped the very most was an email from you.....you suggested that I not dwell on that one day in Dancer's life when he died. That I should rather think of all the other wonderful days we had with him. That struck a cord with me.
The very next time I was on a crying jag over Dancer I asked myself to stop crying, to stop dwelling on the last day of his death.
I spoke out loud to Dancer and told him that I loved him, but I could no longer grieve in this way. I promised him that I would never forget him and would now celebrate his life and what he meant to our family. I wanted to be at peace with his death.
After that, I was able to go out into the Thread Shed and get to work on his rust quilt. I wanted it to be perfect, so I was so cautious as I worked on it. Unfortunately, my cautiousness was creating a well made, but rather boring textile. When seen from across the room at a distance......the quilt did not make the viewer want to come across the room for a closer look. That really bothered me. A quilt needs to grab your attention from across a room and make you want to walk closer for a better look.
One day I just couldn't take it any longer........that is the day I put the tree on it. That made my heart sing.
I sat yesterday quietly hand sewing the binding down. It was a perfect time to reflect. I was content sitting there with the quilt in my lap, thinking about all the great memories Dancer gave us. I never thought it would, but this quilt makes me smile when I view it. It has turned into something joyful and I am at peace.
Again Martha, thank you for your kind words and for thinking of me.
Warm Hugs,
LuAnn