There are a wide variety of reasons why we stitch quilts. To decorate our homes, adding a little colour to life. As a gift, to honour a friend or family member. Sometimes we keep the memory of a loved one alive, or pay tribute to our heritage. Oftentimes, it’s just for fun. Every now and then, there is no reason at all; wherein a quilt is just that, simply a quilt.
However, on occasion there is a deeper meaning… and a purpose. The quilt depicted here is the latter.
I had hit a rough patch in life. During which the days were long and full of uncertainty. The nights dark and full of doubt. Not unlike how many of us feel during this, the present time we are living in. And as such, needed a reminder. Something to offer reassurance that I was not walking this path alone. And that God’s Presence was still with me, despite the troubling circumstances.
It began with the verse from John 10:10… “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have more abundantly.
And so, we have Jesus here as the Shepherd, tending His flock. The Shepherd’s crook came from an old Christmas Nativity set. And the body itself is stuffed with a little poly-fil to enhance the 3-D effect, allowing for the figure to stand out. The robe and headdress fabric are pleated, the better to drape, and give further shape.
The Shepherd is part of a small pastoral scene, beside a stream of ‘living’ water. This was done in lame fabric so the ‘water’ would sparkle and shine. Three puffy little sheep – a nod to the Trinity here. And also, the practical realization that each sheep had four legs for a total of 12, and that felt like more than enough to sew!
Next was to add a small border to delineate the scene from the Bible verse below it. So, a simple Celtic knot design was woven in, using green and brown bias tape which are earth-like colours.
The Bible verse with its reassuring words of comfort was Revelations 7:16-17. Written and printed from the computer, it was traced onto the fabric using a light board.
“Never again shall they hunger,
Never again shall they thirst.
For the Lamb will be their Shepherd,
He will lead them to Springs of Living Water.
And God will wipe away every tear
from their eye.”
Now the question was… how do you depict ‘abundant life’? What does that look like? Realizing of course, that this answer will be different for everybody. For me, it meant full, satisfying. Also, bright and colourful. Plenty of fruit, ripe and juicy, hanging from tree and vine.
And so… we begin with a few cherries. A deep rich burgundy colour, stuffed with a bit of poly-fil to give a nice rounded look. Add a few paisley fabric leaves, for contrasting color, and a stem or two makes a lovely presentation.
Now for some plums. A bright purple in colour. Leaves are an emerald sort of green, different from the olive paisley of the cherry foliage. And again, a little poly-fil emphasizes the richness of ripened fruit. The purple plums are so different in colour from the burgundy cherries. The contrast stands out, yet fits at the same time with the overall colour scheme.
Totally opposite on the spectrum, are the peaches with their shades of yellowy orange. Such a stark contrast to the plums and cherries. They appear to be bursting with ripeness! And also add yet another shade of green to the mix.
The entire presentation here is rich in both colour and contrast. Full and satisfying, they call out abundance!
And that’s only the right side of the quilt! There’s more to come.
Over on the left, we have the deep yellow and amber tones of ripened pears. They balance out the colour from the peaches on the opposite side. And are composed of fabric made to look like actual pears, which is very helpful! A few slivers of greenish leaves for contrast, makes for a lovely display!
Yet not to be outdone, are the deep purple hues of the grapes! Making use of two different shades of fabric. Each grape is individually outlined in a satin stitch for added dimension. And the leaves are a deep, dark green which makes for good contrast. This also matches with the plums on the opposite side. And strikes a balance between the nearby pears and oranges. A touch of ivy helps to fill in some of the surrounding white space.
And last of all, but never least, we have deep rich shades of orange… for the oranges of course! Here again, the patterning of the fabric makes all the difference, helping it look more real and life-like. Add a few leaves, stuff it with poly-fil for dimension, stitch in a stem… and there you have it!
The colours on each side of the quilt complement each other. So, all is in sync, promoting a certain balance and harmony. Which is what this particular quilt wants to speak to.
We’ve addressed the abundance and richness of life with the presentation of the various fruits. The wide array of colour and shape make for a pleasing display, representing well with the overall theme. That God’s Hand is indeed upon us, and on our world. He allows Nature to show this to us in so many different ways. If we only take a moment to look… we will see, and find this to be so.
However, now the spiritual aspect needs to be addressed. Where does the verse from Revelations fit in with all of this? Wait and see!
And so, we have the Rose of Sharon. Mentioned several times throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. It has come to represent beauty, love, and hope.
This was what I wanted to focus on in creating this particular piece. That there is life beyond the clouds lying upon the horizon. That the sun does, and will shine again, no matter how dark the present road! And that we are not walking that road alone. For God knows our heart… He feels our troubles. And will wipe away every tear.
Like the fruit, the flower petals are lightly stuffed with poly-fil. Each individual petal is outlined in satin stitch for added shape and emphasis. The stigmata in the center of the blossoms are made with French knots. And a blush of deeper colour was added with the use of a pigma pen.
But… there was still one more aspect that needed to be added to the quilt. And that was the teardrop. Or in this case a crystal to represent it.
The white space in and around the fruit and flowers is heavy with densely close hand-quilting. Rays of stitching emanate forth from the crystal teardrop to rest upon the Shepherd and His sheep.
The quilt was set on the diagonal, rather than appear as a simple square-shape. A touch of interest here, something a little different from the usual. It was bordered with blue fabric to represent water, and a green fabric to represent Nature and life.
And, it fulfilled the original purpose for which it was designed and created. Serving as a reminder of the Bible’s promise of not just life… but of abundant life. That in the fullness of time to come, God would wipe away every tear, and we would no longer either hunger or thirst. For His Presence walks by our side and sees to our every need – regardless.
Something we would do well to remember during the troubled and fear-filled times of today.
His Hand remains upon us… and the good will eventually prevail – truly!
Two quilts of this design were created… one of which is available in the Quilt Shop.
6 thoughts on “An Abundant Life”
Beautiful Bev.
Thanks my friend! Very kind of you to say so. Hope you are having a smooth recovery and are feeling a bit stronger every day.
Sending prayers and love!!!
A stunning quilt. I believe you were working on this one when I last visited you before moving South! I’m so glad I got to see the finished product today. Every bit of it is beautiful!
Love,
Michelle
How time flies!! Glad you finally got to see how well it turned out. Seeing the finished product is the fun part!
very nice post it really makes a person think. Love you, Jim
And it’s always good to think!!!
Love back!