God Speaks Through Others!

Normally I would be at church on Sunday morning, but my cough is still lingering and so I stayed home.  As I was sitting here at the computer going through the quilts that have been submitted to Project Quilting for this weeks challenge I was once again drawn to Annie Young's blog.

As I read the descriptions and listened to how the quilters were inspired by Annie's art, I had to go dwell in her work, to listen to what she had to say through her words and her paintings.

Annie posts her art along with words of her own and quotes from many famous people, including Scripture.  Some of the quotes we've heard and some are new and some are ones I believe God wants us to hear again and again.  She is inspired by God and His amazing love of us, as am I, but her quotes also remind me that God speaks through others. We just have to have our ears and hearts turned on and tuned in to hear Him speak.

I believe God speaks through beautiful flowers and sunrises and sunsets and every other beautiful and sometimes not so beautiful thing He has created and I love that He gave me such an appreciation of His art.  I love butterflies and am surprised that I didn't use one of Annie's as inspiration for my quilt for this challenge.  As I move through her posts I found one dated July 26, 2012 and she used this quote along with her butterfly wings picture, "and when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly..." -unknown

She titled her blog that day, you are are brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous!  My first thought was one of surprise. Immediately following was the butterfly quote and then the picture of her butterfly and a very long and beautiful quote from Nelson Mandela. I would love to show her butterfly here, but I do not have her permission, and so I have posted pictures I have taken of butterflies and their various life stages.  Nelson Mandola reminds us that we are children of God and that we are designed to glorify God.  I am not going to quote the entire thing here, not today, but I am going to give you the link to that specific page ofAnnie's blog and I encourage you to go and read it for yourselves.

I promise you that her beautiful picture of the butterfly wings and this quote will bless you and you will know that God used Annie Young and Nelson Mandela to speak to you and to me and to everyone whose ears and minds were turned on and tuned in! 

You are brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous!

Sunset Reflection in Lake

Sunset Reflection on Lake        15" x 9" quilt

It's done and it's uploaded to Flickr and the Project Quilting Flickr Group!  Yay, it's only 7:43 on Saturday evening.  It's not even due until noon tomorrow!  I told you in yesterday's post that Annie's art was an amazing inspiration.  I hope you have already checked out her blog!

So, after yesterday, there's not a lot to say.  I just knew the moment I saw this fabric that it looked like the reflection of a sunset on a lake and so I cut the piece out, made the sandwich and began to do the free motion quilting.  This is all so new to me and I had a blast.  This was the most relaxing quilt I've done to date and I hope to do more of this type.  The best part was when Bill said, I see a shark in the water and some other fish!  He's being so encouraging and it makes this even more fun.


If you are seeing this post and haven't read yesterdays, be sure to back up and read all about the Project Quilting Challenge for this week and Annie Young Art.


I hope you enjoy and I am off to the studio to work on some Valentines.   It's next week you know and I just really want to make some fabric ones to give to some sweet friends!  We'll see!  I tried to do some last year and I tried last night, but then I turned to Pinterest and found some real cute ideas - so hoping tonight is successful.  If I am you'll know it tomorrow!
Have a great evening.

Suffering with the flu and now bronchitis, left me thinking that I wouldn’t even attempt this weeks Project Quilting challenge, but I did want to go see the inspiration on Annie Young’s blog.  I had never heard of Annie Young and now, I know I’ll never forget her.

I love nature, all of it, whether it’s fauna and flora, bugs, birds, sunrises or sunsets, fish or animals. I began painting as a way to use some of the many thousands of photographs I had taken!  Photography was my first love. Painting is my second love and is followed by quilting so that I would have a new medium for my painting.  I actually love taking pictures and I love painting, at this time I'm learning to quilt!  It doesn't come as easy, but I believe I will come to love it too.

Visiting Annie’s blog and looking at her work was like seeing all of my two loves in her magnificent works of art!  Every piece she has done is inspiring.  I saw flowers, skies, sunrises and sunsets in her art pieces and then I saw that she doesn’t see!  I know she did, but she lost her sight around ten years ago and yet she creates the most amazing pieces of art.  That proves that art is the window of the soul!

I have always believed that what gifts I had at photography or painting were directly from God and seeing her work, I know hers are for sure and my getting to experience them is her gift to me and everyone else who sees her work.  She has inspired me to let go and allow myself to be what God has created me to be!  No comparisons, no excuses, no giving in to doubts and fears, but rather to let go of all the outside junk and allow God to flow through me in my art.  I was reminded this week of a quote I read on the wall in a doctor’s office back in the late 70‘s, “Your life is God’s gift to you, what you do with it is your gift to God.”   I saw it on Annie’s blog  dated 8/18/12 or at least a very similar one and I was reminded of how much I believe that and how Annie has given an amazing gift to God!  We should all strive to give Him such a gift.

Preview of my quilt!

It seems like not feeling well really doesn’t seem very important after meeting Annie and a quilt will evolve before Sunday’s deadline.  It will be the best that I can do, and I will thank God for the talent to do it and use it as an inspiration for years to come - reminding me that if we allow God to work through us, nothing is impossible, no matter the circumstance!  

Thank you Kim for this challenge, thank you Annie for your inspiration and your art.  I have two goals - to create a piece inspired by Annie’s work and to own a piece of Annie Young art.  I will meet them both!  And for you, if you haven't already headed to Annie Young's blog then please do so right now!  You will not be disappointed, in fact, I promise you will be inspired!

See you tomorrow when I post my inspiration quilt - for Project Quilting Challenge # 3.