Quilt Published!

It's official! I've been published internationally in Magnet! Might sound a bit more important than it is, but I see it as a milestone anyway. Two complimentary copies arrived today from over the pond.

The artworks used in this magazine are absolutely amazing! And the articles are powerful, touching, and thought-provoking. It's a Christian magazine originally by the Women's Network of the Methodist Church, but is now a collaborative effort spanning many different Christian backgrounds. A British publication, it has a global focus.

After an initial snag with getting magazine quality photos of my Poured Out 2 quilt, I sent my huge graphic file off and this is what they did with it. I think it turned out well. In case you wondered, I did not write the article.

In the article, Amy Boucher Pye writes, "When we pray, we might sense something from God through an imagine in our minds. I once pictured a gorgeous crystal vase, filled with a sludgy, murky water. I saw God pouring in living water, displacing what was unclean. This showed me that I was created to be beautiful, reflecting God's light and life when the spirit cleansed me."

The following is my 'Artist's Statement' submitted with my entry of the quilt into the upcoming Sacred Threads Exhibit: "Second in a series inspired by my church's logo, this quilt represents the feelings, good and bad, that I experienced during my husband's battle with cancer. Time and time again, negative feelings threatened to choke my spirit only to be conquered by a pouring out of love and grace that washed away the scary thoughts. At the same time, I was pouring myself out for my husband and children, one still an infant and I was desperate to fill myself with the Living Water of God's love."

I am so happy to see my quilt used this way. When I made the original Poured Out and then this version, I had no idea what to do with them, other than to present the first to my church and to enter the second into Sacred Threads. It is hard to even think about what I poured into these quilts without tearing up and yet I can look at each of them and feel almost like I am looking at the work of someone else and be awed. It is clear to me that I did not make these by myself.

Artspeak mumbo jumbo perhaps, but that's how it is. And looking at the other artworks they use in this magazine, I can see that I am not alone.

You can also find Magnet on Facebook. And have I mentioned, you can find a Facebook page for Amy's Free Motion Quilting Adventures also?