Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Phoenix Song

Somewhere out in the darkness, a phoenix was singing in a way Harry had never heard before: a stricken lament of terrible beauty. And Harry felt, as he had felt about phoenix song before, that the music was inside him, not without: It was his own grief turned magically to song that echoed across the grounds and through the castle windows.

How long they stood there, listening, he did not know, nor why it seemed to ease their pain a little to listen to the sound of their mourning, but it felt like a long time.
–J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, page 614-615

Larger Phoenix Quilt Logo

I've finished the quilt I'm going to donate to Phoenix Quilts.

Julie, a woman who lives near the Wood Hollow fire put out the call for quilts to be donated to families who had lost their homes in that fire. She called it Operation Wood Hollow.

After a good response, she decided to expand the donation area and asked for suggestions for a new name for her organization. In the meantime, I tossed ideas around for a name for my quilt. I thought of "Out of the Ashes," and then about "Phoenix." Both of those seemed a little too dramatic and I didn't want the recipient to be reminded of something that was probably very traumatic. I Googled synonyms for phoenix, but there are none. Then I remembered that phoenix song has a healing quality {at least in Harry Potter's world} and decided that would be the name for my quilt, in the hopes that it will be part of the healing for the family who receives it. I also thought of suggesting "Operation Phoenix" as a new name for Julie's non-profit, but somebody beat me to it.

I tried a new FMQ pattern on this quilt. I kind of dragged my feet on getting started and was frustrated at first because it wasn't coming out how I pictured it in my head. In the end it turned out pretty OK and I like it quite a bit. Some parts of it look better than others, some areas have smoother, more even stitches than others, but all in all, I think it was a success.

And I used the constructive remarks the judges gave me at HMQS to improve my binding. I cut it at 2¼" rather than 2½", sewed it on to the quilt before I trimmed away the extra back and batting and I made smaller stitches to sew it to the back. I did not, however, sew the miters closed. I like them open and will only do that for quilts that are for shows. Overall, it was definite improvement on my binding, I think.

In just three short weeks, Utah has gone from more than a dozen wildfires to just one, which is now 95% contained. At last count, 849 homes have been lost in Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Utah, so there is still a great need for donations. Julie will be delivering quilts in Idaho and Colorado shortly. I'll be putting my quilt in the mail to Julie tomorrow.

My 2012 Finishes

6 comments:

Barb said...

What a wonderful name and quilt...great cause.

Paulette said...

I LOVE the quilting on your quilt, Elizabeth! I think it's way better than "pretty okay." The colors of it are very soft and comforting too. I'm sure it will be very much appreciated by the recipient. A wonderful quilt finish!

QuiltNut Creations said...

I love the quilting Elizabeth; great job!

I've heard more people are doing their binding like that. Think I'll try it on my next quilt.

Joyce H. said...

Beautiful job, Elizabeth. I have one ready to go, but didn't make it. A friend had asked last month if I could fnid a home for a quilt she no longer could use, then I saw the post about this organization on facebook. We decided that was perfect!
A family will love the quilt you made, and I know it will be a blessing to them as they put their lives back together.

Unknown said...

This quilt is BEAUTIFUL, Elizabeth! I love the quilt, the fabric, the quilting, the name . . . EVERYTHING!!! :) Thank you so much for being willing to donate it to Phoenix Quilts! I know the recipient of your quilt will receive a lot of comfort from it! Hugs!!! :)

P.S. Thank you for helping me spread the word about Phoenix Quilts, too! :)

mom said...

Elizabeth I love the quilting! it is a beautiful amazing quilt. you are such a giving person. It is something someone will cherish and the name is great.