Today is the first day of spring and it is the final Project Quilting Challenge for the year. The theme for this challenge is “Ab Intra” meaning to look within. A lot has been going on this week, but the best part is the starting of SPRING. My favorite of all seasons! There have been some wonderful sunny and warm days, my spring bulbs are poking up out of the ground and my plum tree is blooming. While I thought spring would be a good subject… I wanted this last piece, to be more meaningful, so I had to think for a couple days on this one.
It has been a long year with covid isolation while I have been teaching middle school art to 300+ kids remotely. We just got the word this past week that we will be returning to in-person hybrid learning. Thankfully teachers got pushed up for vaccines and I have had my first shot a week ago. The idea of teaching with covid has given me a lot of anxiety… but with the shot I have been feeling a lot more hopeful and a little less anxious.
So this piece is how I am feeling right now about going back to in-person teaching. A lot of butterflies in my stomach and heart… excitement and anxiousness. There is still so much to plan, prepare and think about, my mind is always running and my heart and tummy are fluttering.
Since I am in the middle of my epic Halloween quilt… the idea of bones leapt out at me for a base to this piece. (plus trying to make a stomach or heart look either not gross or not cartoonish is hard.) So I cut out a rib cage to hold my butterflies. This is raw edge applique fabric collage. Apparently I have collected quite a few butterfly fabrics over the years!
I also decided to add some text with my new embroidery function of my new Bernina machine… a little Valentine’s present for myself. I am still new to using this feature. I am a little disappointed in my color choice, only because it doesn’t show up as much as I wanted it to. Maybe I will outline it with a lighter thread. Overall I am very happy with this little art quilt.
Thank you for visiting my site. I have been creating art for almost 40 years now. Fibers are my most recent media of choice. 
Interesting composition. Lovely work. This is a beautiful quilt!
I can understand why you have butterflies. According to a teacher-friend who is recently back at school, hybrid learning is NOT easy for anyone involved! Wishing you well, as you return to the classroom.
This piece is gorgeous! Good luck with returning to school. Our school district has done an AMAZING job with in person and I hope you have teh same (or even better) support!