If you missed my lecture on ‘Art and Activism’ last week, the recording is now online. It is one hour long, so grab a cup of tea or glass of wine along with a notepad because there are lots of ideas for those who want to use their art to make the world a better place.
This week I wanted to highlight this amazingly intricate quilt from the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. Jenny Douglas created this Celtic Alphabet quilt, named “U is for Unicorn”. Each block has super-detailed applique and embroidery, with a Celtic calligraphy letter, and the motif it describes. You can see other quilts from the Festival of Quilts, on my photo pages.
One of our most popular motifs is the category full of Alphabet, Calligraphy, and Library prints. The exclusive print that eQuilter carries, that thousands of you have discovered, is the official Scrabble Letters panel. You keep ordering, and we keep reprinting. Thanks to Ms Jean Truelove, we have a very large fan club of Scrabble quilters who use the letters to create all kinds of clever quilts, spelling family names and inspirational messages.
There are lots of reasons to love alphabet fabrics. Whether you are a bookworm, a teacher, or a parent of a young reader…these ABC panels and letter prints give us the ability to include messages or monograms/initials on our quilt projects.
You may thrill a young person by stitching in the letters of their name, honor a dear friend with words of praise, or remember someone special with a quote. We can piece, embroider, or sew in letter blocks to embed these words and phrases into our sewing projects.
Because I have studied Calligraphy, collected antique letters, and love to write with a Fountain Pen….these beautiful fabrics have a special meaning to me. Writing with pen and ink is a way of slowing down and being in the moment, similar to hand-quilting and embroidery. I love the loopy letters and flourishing script found in vintage love letters…when the yearnings of lonely hearts were poured out onto a page and surrendered to a mailbox, hope it would reach a beloved somewhere far away. Our quilts have a similar ability to travel through time and deliver a message to someone in the future. You never know when the words you stitch today, will touch someone’s heart in another time and place.
Sharing your love of fabric…
Luana and Paul
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Travel/Quilt Calendar:
Sept 28-30 – AQSG Seminar – Louisville, KY
Oct 27 – Nov 3 – Quilt Market/Festival – Houston TX
