We All Shine On |

A good deal of time has passed since my last post – nearly two years. I’m not sure what initially slowed me down and sapped my motivation. It may have been that my emotional energy was wrapped up in grieving for a good friend who was entering the final months of her life (Homecoming was her quilt), then I took a part-time job at the local pharmacy, and shortly after that Covid-19 hit. In spite of having a lot of unscheduled time on my hands I didn’t feel much like writing. My friend passed on, the pharmacy work continued, and we all adapted, in some way, to living in a pandemic.

In February 2020, before things shut down, I started on an ambitious quilting project. I saw the pattern in a Better Homes & Gardens magazine and knew right away I wanted to tackle it. It was made from 2,230 small squares, half darks, half lights. I found it striking and knew that whittling down my scrap stash would be satisfying. I worked on it in-between making masks, working at the pharmacy which had gone to curbside service, and adjusting my quilting time to accommodate one of my sons who had moved back home for the duration of Covid, and who set up a remote work space in one section of the studio.

The most tedious part was all the cutting! Because I used scraps I couldn’t just cut strips into squares. Some of the fabrics are more than 30 years old (I hope they hold up!) It was a trip down memory lane to scour through my bins and find pieces from previous projects or clothes I’d made years ago, although there were many times when I had no recollection of why I had bought, or acquired, a particular piece.

After months of strip-piecing sections and creating 80 blocks, I put it all together. The back was prepared from a large piece of fabric I’d purchased for another project but had ended up not using. Then began the search for a quilting design. I couldn’t decide among a few options and thread choices I’d narrowed it down to, so I consulted my studio-mate, who had observed most of the construction. He chose a design called “Jester”, which seems appropriate for how some of the past 12+ months have felt.

I am calling this quilt We All Shine On, and yes, it is a reference the lines from the John Lennon song.