Acceptance

I missed the part about 3 colors, but this is my entry...I hope it fits this month's theme.

Acceptance

A bit of back story here..skip if you want, but I felt it had to be included snce it is a very large part of this quilt.

After 4 yrs of a very dark period in my life (3 dear friends and my Mother dying within months of each during 2010..among other things) when I was emotionally unable to do any quilting, I began dabbling in various other forms of art a couple of years ago, but my heart has always wanted to go back to quilt art. I did the book cover challenge and not much (if any) before and none after, and was determined to do more but there was a block. I have many sketches for work and I would often pull fabric for one, only to put it all away when it just wouldn't inspire me.

My daughter is giving birth to another grandson for me in June though and I HAD to make a quilt for him, so that got me actually creating new work. But still I couldn't do anything for myself..until this one.

When I read the challenge I went through my sketches and noticed I have a lot with these curvy shapes in them, so I picked one that fit this month's theme and went to work. I enlarged the sketch, chose the fabrics, figured placement and fused them all down in one afternoon. The block is gone! I have 12 more enlarged sketches waiting for me after the baby quilt is done.

"Acceptance" is large, 25"x33" and is done with fusible applique and represents a simple but true message:
"Don't try and copy what others wear or how they act. That often leads to a dark hole of depression. Be yourself and soon they will begin to accept you for the wonderful, unique individual that you are."

And to me personally it represents the end of a long depressed period and the joy of returning to doing what I love!! Also a reminder that I may not always be happy, and am not perfect, my work may not be museum quality or worth thousands of dollars, but it represents ME, who I am, what I aspire to be, and I just need to enjoy the process and not stress out so much :-D