Luminaries

With the beginning of Advent, I started to see luminaries made of paper bags here and there, and the added 'light' in this season has really been a blessing. I confess, though things in our world still seem dark and uncertain, the light has certainly given me some much-needed hope. 

I don't often infuse my quilting with any real meaning, but after attending (virtually of course) worship at my church on November 29, the first Sunday of Advent, I was really touched by the many ways leaders had shared the light of Advent through their individual gifts... through music, art, video, and the spoken word. It suddenly felt necessary for me to take a pause to create light myself, through the gift of my quilting.

Rummaging in my scrap basket, I happened upon a scrap that set me on my course. Truly, it was just 1" wide by about 14" long. I'm not even sure what the actual name of it was, but it was from an older line of Melody Miller's - probably in the Cotton + Steel days (please remind me if you know!). But immediatly when I touched it, I saw it as sparks of light. Of course you'd think I might have focused on Advent candles, but it was luminaries that were on my mind, so that's where I continued on.

So adding white fabric around each 'spark,' I created a handful of fabric luminaries. Since they are most often used to line a pathway or sidewalk, I arranged them in a long curve, with a background of dark blue, gray, and black improv stripes to signify the night sky. 

The finish measures 15" x 28", and the rectangular shape was intentional to emphasis the 'path' or journey of Advent. (For those who aren't familiar with the meaning of Advent, it's all about the 'journey' of the weeks leading up to Christmas and the birth of the Christ child.) For backing, I found the perfect blue in my stash - please remind me what it is too! I should know, but there was no selvedge, and the name is escaping me. Anyway, it made me very happy to find it and be able to use it.

But honestly, it took the addition of quilting to really make my vision more obvious. I used  several different Aurifil 50wt threads - #2140 [Mustard] for the pathway lined with lights; #2730 [Delft Blue], #2784 [Dark Navy], and #2692 [Black] for the night sky. And then, even after I'd trimmed the quilt post-quilting, it dawned on me to add several lines of quilting in Sulky Metallic #142-7007 [Gold] along the lit path. Not sure you can see it in the photo, but it was the perfect finishing touch.

That and the faced binding, I should say. This little quilt called out for it, and I was happy to oblige. It makes it seem like the journey just continues on.... as of course it does.

Peace to you, my friends. May you see some light along your way this week....