Post 9/11

I suppose the title for this post has many different meanings, but I'll talk about the obvious one relating to my blog post yesterday.

Sorry about the less than stellar photo--hopefully you don't read my blog for the photos because that would really be just waaaaay beyond sad for you! As I was getting ready for work yesterday morning--running late as usual--I was thinking about the fact that it was the anniversary of 9/11, and I wanted to say something on my blog. I wasn't sure what to say because we've all said and thought all the words and ideas that can be expressed over the past six years, and some things are still beyond expression. Still, I didn't want the day to go by without some remembrance. I then thought about just posting a photo of the "quilt block" I had painted not too long after. So, still running late, I snapped two photos, turned on my computer, and uploaded the best of the two.

A couple of you have asked about the painted block, so on a slightly more cheerful subject, I'll tell you about it. And I have more not-quite-perfect photos to share with you. Oh, joy!

I love to quilt. I began quilting near the end of 1999, and quilting soon became a passion with me as I learned about the different blocks and techniques. Sometimes I dream quilt blocks. Do you do that? See block patterns and colors in your dreams? Sometimes the kaleidoscoping images are not quite restful, and I don't know what it is that my unconscious mind is trying to process through these dreams, but dream them I do.

So, when I built a bookcase in my bedroom to house my waiting-to-be-read books and already-read-but-too-good-to-throw-out magazines, I decided to decorate the top with painted quilt blocks. Star block patterns are a perennial favorite of mine, so I first drew out different quilt blocks on the surface using a pencil and a quilt ruler. I used mostly acrylic paints to paint the blocks as well as some crackle medium for texture. I thought about fabric patterns, and painted in designs to imitate fabric--I even went to look at my stash several times. And because I love applique, I couldn't resist adding an "appliqued" vine with leaves and berries, winding around the star blocks. Once I was done with all the painting, I added a few more coats of a clear acrylic paint to seal and protect the "quilting."

As I was creating my painted quilt, I kept thinking about the patriotism that I'm reminded of in star blocks. If I remember correctly, I undertook this project just several months after 9/11. How could I NOT add a block in remembrance of 9/11 and those who lost their lives that day? Since that time, every now and then I'll notice that particular block and remember. Do you have something that you made in memory of 9/11 or the war that began not long afterward?

When our country sent troops to Iraq, I was working on a particular quilt, and whenever I see that quilt, I am reminded of evenings spent watching the news on CNN. It's funny how the things we have around us remind us of specific times in our lives. I'll be posting a photo of that quilt in the next month or so when I get my house decorated for fall.

In the meantime, here's another small quilt I made quite awhile back to remind us of the liberty we enjoy in America. The center is a printed square and I bordered it with a braided border. And, yes, I did hand quilt it! That's rare in my quilt world!