the online quilt festival!

Amy's Creative Side - Blogger's Quilt Festival

For my regular readers, you have obviously seen this quilt before, but for all the visitors, welcome! I hope you enjoy the story and the quilt and the journey to create both.

I made this quilt for the doll quilt swap on flickr and I was so happy to have the creative freedom from my secret partner to make the quilt that I needed to make. That’s right..needed.

online quilt festival

This quilt has a fairly obvious reference to the Wizard of Oz, but I wasn’t just trying to make a story quilt. At least not that story. This quilt is about the story of my life for the last several years and my husband’s and my attempts to have children.

online quilt festival

We knew that we wanted to have children when we were dating. But thought that we might wait one or two years…I was fairly young and we wanted to enjoy our time together alone for a bit. And we did. We took lovely trips and enjoyed our very long honeymoon stage! But it became clearer and clearer that we would like to try to start a family.

online quilt festival

But unfortunately for us, that was not a simple task. What we thought would be effortless turned into years of study, research, surgeries, a miscarriage, more surgery, fertility treatments, prayer, prayer and more prayer. All the while we saw families growing all around us.

online quilt festival

We knew that God wanted us to have children and for me to conceive, but the years of waiting were extremely difficult as all the things that accompany being a married couple without children in a world focused on married couples with children. It became difficult to maintain hope when month after month, year after year, we still had the same struggle and felt little control.

online quilt festival

And then it happened, on a miraculous Easter Morning I discovered that I was pregnant.

online quilt festival

We were in a happy but cautious daze for months. I unfortunately get extremely ill when pregnant and by the end of the first trimester I had already lost 15 lbs. I couldn’t get off my couch to sew!!! 🙁 But that couldn’t take away our joy.

online quilt festival

Our baby girl was due December 21st and I was convinced she would be born on Christmas since we had found out about her on Easter. But she proved her independence early by thankfully coming early! She still was our best Christmas present though!

online quilt festival

The hardship didn’t end with her arrival for me, but we were blessed with an enormous amount of care from family and friends for months afterwards. And Caitlyn has certainly turned out to be an angel baby. Sweet in every way and thankfully allowing her parents to get a decent amount of sleep.

online quilt festival

She is the greatest joy in our life and is truly a miracle. We tell everyone that we waited so long for her because God was working hard on making her so precious.

online quilt festival

So this quilt is a representation of our journey. We were on the dark side with that rainbow just barely glimmering above to give us hope. But since Caitlyn joined our life, we are living in the colored side. Every day is magical, seriously. We are so blessed to have her and she has brought color and joy to our life.

online quilt festival

When we were waiting for our precious arrival, there was a song that always made us smile. It always made us peaceful and left us happy. That song is Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s Somewhere Over The Rainbow / What A Wonderful World. I’m sure that you’ve heard it…movies love to use it as a finale song! Well..that is our song. My husband even had a great moment in the hospital when I was (finally!) getting some sleep and brand new Caitlyn was sleeping in my arms. He was video taping and realized that in the background was this song playing on our ipod. He couldn’t have planned the moment better. It was the realization of a dream. The reminder that God fulfills his promises in ways that we can’t imagine.

online quilt festival

And so a quilt idea was born as well. “Where Bluebirds Fly” represents this journey. So many of you have asked me how I could possibly give this quilt away after all the work it took. But the reality is that I don’t need this quilt because I am living it. I am in the magical world. I spend every day with this sweet girl.

online quilt festival

34 thoughts on “the online quilt festival!”

  1. Oooh I am such a soppy sentimentalist – I've come over all teary reading this – I'm so happy those dark years ended in such a gorgeous little girl who you really treasure. And this quilt still knocks me out. . Lucky old Karrie Lynn. X

  2. I loved this quilt the first time you showed it and I kinda understand how you could give it away but it is one of the most beautiful and moving quilts I've ever come across!
    Gill

  3. Hi Angela!
    I do love this quilt. You have put so much work into it and it looks stunning. I love the design, the colour choices and the fabrics.
    And of course the story behind it makes the quilt all the more special.
    A beautiful quilt!!

  4. I have so much to say ….yet I am speechless.
    First of all the Wizard of Oz is my all time favorite movie. And now I will always remeber this quilt and your story when I watch it.
    I am so happy you and your husband were able to color in your rainbow with the love of God and a beautiful daughter.
    Oh and the quilt is truely beautiful too.

    Marianne

  5. Angela, Since I had only started following your blog the last few months I had never seen this qult. OMG. Obviously, it is stunning, such a glorious contrast. But really – your story is even better. What a testament to God's goodness and faithfulness! Thank-you for sharing from your heart here and laying it all out on the table. P.S. You may be interested in joining our now-forming new Faith circle at do. Good Stitches {a Charity Bee}.

  6. What a lovely story, and how well you captured it in the quilt! I think I would have had a hard time giving away such a personal piece of work too, but you have the right perspective: life itself is more important than the image of it. 🙂

  7. Your quilt and story are one of the reasons this Festival is so great! I feel lucky to have been able to read about your difficult journey and the meaning behind your spectacular quilt. Like you, I got really sick in pregnancy and lost a lot of weight at the begining, so I can relate to that part! Glad you are finally parents and experiencing the joys of babyhood. So special! Thanks for sharing your quilt's amazing story 🙂

  8. What a wonderful story!! Beautiful daughter, and I love your sentiment that it took so long because God was working so hard to make her precious – AND that you recorded your story in cloth! It will always be a treasure!

  9. God is good and accomplishes what we desire in his own time. Beautiful story which I know had much hardship to it.
    The quilt is interesting to look at but I have to say I really like the back and how the quilting looks with that.

  10. Wow, this is such an amazing, gorgeous quilt! Truly a piece of breathtaking art. Just a total jaw-dropper! And what a wonderful story to go with it, your daughter is just beautiful.

  11. Hello Angela! When I saw your quilt I thought it's so wonderful and I want to see much more your creations! I still do but now I'm also so touched about your story and what you have gone through by this quilt!
    All the best for your family and wishes from Crete! Teje

  12. So much to love about this quilt, and its story. But one of my favorite parts of the quilt is that the dark side is smaller than the bright side. Almost like it's pushing the dark side off the page…

    ~ Meagan

  13. my husband and i had a very similar experience trying to start our own family. and one year ago in october (on my birthday) our very own KATELYN was born – a true miracle. i totally understand what you mean when you say she has brought color to your life. we really are living in the magical world! thanks for sharing your story and your quilt – both are amazing!!!

  14. what a sweet and poignant story to go with your absolutely marvelous quilt. so glad you've had a happy outcome and what a precious little girl. thanks for sharing and have a great day

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