Home is Where My Heart Soars

This is my third year participating in The Alliance For American Quilt's yearly quilt project. Each year the AAQ picks a theme for the project. The quilts are auctioned off later in the year to raise funds and the first prize quilt artist wins a Handi Quilter. Amazing, right? Each year I look forward to this challenge as I really try to push my personal limits.

Last year one of my quilts was dedicated to the loss of a pregnancy I experienced between having my two daughters.

This was one of my first art quilts that I really shared myself and put my heart into. I also bought this at the auction later that year and have it in my studio; it was much to personal for me to permanently share.

My inspiration last year was a personal loss, my inspiration this year was the birth of my first daughter. As many of you know, my amazing Kiddo was born with symbrachydactyly. To be perfectly honest, four years after her birth this condition has little to no impact on our lives. She is beyond beautiful, smarter than the average four year old, and has a determination that rivals her mother. I don't worry too much about her. However, when you become a mother, you have decided that a piece of your heart will forever walk outside your body. And when you become a mother to a child that the world will deem "different", in many ways you become a mother to all children that are "different". Even though Kiddo's difference hasn't yet altered her life, my heart reaches out to all children that will blaze a more difficult path.

As a parent we often want to share our personal interests that we love with our children in the hopes that they will have interest in it too. Kiddo is already fascinated with art, quilts, and working with her hands. I've wondered what would I have done if she had been born in such a way that sharing these interests would have felt impossible. I hope that I would have reached beyond myself and made it possible.

This year my quilt is dedicated to all those young lovers of art and quilts that do not have sight. Each room of the house is adorned with a braille label created with french knots. There is a physical clay piece embedded in each room in a trapunto style with more hand embroidery to make the texture obvious. Each room was fusible appliqued and machine stitched. I embellished each room boundary with more hand embroidery to accent its separation from the others.

I present, "Home is Where My Heart Soars"..

The door that leads to Home..

Love..

The Spirit that allows us to fly..

To Create..

Nature..

Music..

The house roof is layered with lace and free motion stitching. Never in a million years could I imagine wrapping a traditional binding on this quilt. I did a very small zig zag on the perimeter. Then I embroidered a back stitch and crocheted a single crochet into each stitch. I wanted the edges to be organic, soft, and yielding.

It's easier to see my free motion quilting from the back of the quilting (and yes, I still have to add my sleeve and label..)

My quilt was a labor of love and I hope that it speaks to you. It really is one that best appreciated in person and with touch.

Did you enter? I would love to see what "home" meant to you.