Sunday, October 15, 2017

Kathy's "REACH"

NO MATTER HOW DISTANT.




NO MATTER HOW FAR.
 I WILL FIND YOU MY CHILDREN
WHEREVER YOU ARE.

I wasn't quite sure how to handle this challenge, but for some reason this poem popped into my mind. I don't know if I read it somewhere, or more likely, it came to me through "Divine Inspiration."   

Of all the events in my somewhat ordinary life, the most significant of those events was the tragic loss of my son, Ian Alexander Harte, in October 2003.   I was still living in Alaska; Ian and my daughter, Aimee, were living in California near their Dad.     When I got the phone call that Ian had "gone missing" I was terrified.   How could this happen?   He had just turned 24 !  He'd just graduated from college.   He had a job.   He was supposed to be OK !   Our family did everything humanly possible to locate our boy.... Police, Detectives, Investigators, Attorneys; Ian's friends, his college; "Missing" posters on every vertical surface in the town where he lived.  We stormed the gates of heaven, begging our Dear God to return Ian to us.    It was not to be.
 * * * We will celebrate Ian's 38th Birthday tomorrow, October 16, 2017. * * *

During these past few months, our beloved country, the United States of America, and many other countries (especially the "Island Countries") have been devastated by Hurricanes and Tropical Storms.    As Hurricane Harvey was gathering speed and force, many areas in Florida were under "emergency" (mandatory) evacuation.  My daughter, Aimee, and 9 year old grandson, Logan, were among those evacuees.  To hear my child sobbing; to hear my grandson crying as he asked if they were all going to die was heartbreaking.    Fortunately, we were able to get them out of Florida and they stayed with us for the several days it took "Harvey" to calm down.   We celebrated their safety, and them being here with us in Central Texas !

The small poem at the beginning of this dialog has become the title of my "REACH" quilt.   I'm grateful to our Dear God for all He's given to me; and I know at some point in time I will understand!
_____________________
The Quilt :    The Cross represents God's ever-presence in our lives.
Fabrics:  I hand-dyed the background fabric using lots of rusted "found objects."    Commercial fabric was used for the cross, and the backing.  
Quilting:  I Free-Motion quilted the background using the fabric designs as inspiration.    The Cross was machine quilted using straight stitching to simulate the grain in the wood.
Finishing Techniques:   I used a "Ragged-Edge" process for the Cross to give it dimensionality; I also left the edges of the front of the quilt ragged.    The "Poem" has been printed onto fabric, and appliqued to the back side of the quilt.
Binding:  The binding is a "double fold," and was used to finish the edges on the back of the quilt.
_____________________

Peace and blessings,    Kathy


10 comments:

  1. God bless you Kathy. I eagerly await your quilt.

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  2. Kathy had major problems posting her photos, so she just now sent them to me, and I posted them for her. Alice

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  3. Your quilt is beautiful! I cant imagine your loss. I hope this helped you in some way.

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  4. Kathy - you reached for your faith - a good choice

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  5. Love the quilt! I can't imagine the terrible loss you have endured all this time. It is wonderful that you have held on to your faith.

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  6. I absolutely love this. It is a wonderful quilt with a wonderful meaning. Thank you for sharing this. I know this is from your heart.

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  7. You are so gifted; I am moved by the way you spoke of these tragedies with your faith as your support. "the careful rawness" of your work is wonderful.

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  8. Wow! Your quilt holds a lot of powerful thoughts and emotions. Hugs and prayers for you and your family.

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  9. Beautiful, poignant quilt. Thank you for sharing your story. Quilting is gorgeous, and the rusted fabric background compliments the ragged-edged cross perfectly.

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