I was the first to choose a word for this, our very first quilt challenge blog. Shortly after returning from a workshop on "Earth Honoring Faith" at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, I selected the word, harmony, as our theme. The Ghost Ranch workshop was the 4th in a 10 year study on ecological issues as seen through the eyes of world-class theologians and ethicists. After weeks of rough sketches on numerous ideas, I chose "Grounded in Harmony" to convey my invigorated reverence for our planet and our connection with all of creation. A hand-dyed fabric, purchased years ago for a yet to be determined "special" purpose, became my background fabric. Using raw edge fusing, I added a tree that embraces the planet with roots. Flowers were added to represent my garden where I go for spiritual enrichment. A stream, using fused tulle, lies below the flowers depicted what I consider to be our most endangered resource, water. The light pouring in on the tree signifies the power within in all of us to protect the planet and all of creation. All of these techniques - raw edge fusing, over-laid tulle and free motion quilting were new to me and thus presented me with my first art quilt challenge.
