LE: Still in Love

Sometimes you design a quilt and can have no way of knowing that it's going to take over your life. Love Entwined is that quilt. I always knew it was going to be epic - the work alone is so significant (if you take on the entire quilt) that it really is one of those 'once in a lifetime' projects that takes on it's own personality, style and aura. That might be a strange word to use when describing a quilt, but anyone who's started this project can tell you that 'the quilt' decides which fabrics, tones and colour schemes it wants. And I've heard that so many times now that I believe it to be true. Once you decide that this is a project you want to make - you become the maker, but it's the quilt that takes on it's own style. Again, a strange thing to say about a quilt pattern, but I like to think that the collective style elements that make up the whole have an effect on each of us who take it on, step by step.

This is where I am up to. I have the centre done as you can see in the image above. I also have a lot of the applique pieces for the borders completed and tucked away, numbered, in envelopes. When I'm in the right frame of mind and have enough time stretched out before me to tackle it without interruption, I will complete the borders 'quickly'. At least it will look that way after my creative pause when it all comes together. I can't wait for that time to arrive,

Am I still in love with Love Entwined? Absolutely. In fact, more than ever. It's a quilt that grows on you. And, even though time is passing since that first excited post right her on my blog announcing it as a BOM - I feel that it's gained in importance just because a community of quilters out there are making it and starting to show it off for all it's beauty in their own corners of the world.

Who made it? Who was she? Why did she do it? Who taught her the mathematical equations necessary to design certain precise motifs? Where did she source her hard to obtain Chintz from in Georgian England? If she was a well connected lady in society, why isn't there any evidence of design motifs being shared amongst textiles works from that same era?  And, if she wasn't well connected in society, how on earth did she afford the time and textiles to create this project in the first place?

These are just some of the questions this quilt raises and I hope, in years to come, when hundreds of LE's are out there, that we will learn more of the original quilter who's legacy has been passed down to us. And it's my hope that we will be able to honor her with a rightful place in textile history. This is why I say - even if you only take an element and create a project from it, you are part of the legacy.

Through revival comes interest and hopefully in time to come, that interest will lead to answers.

But for now, we create. And wait...

LIVE LINK: click to go to the LE Group

If you're making this quilt or a project based on any of it's motifs, be sure to join the Love Entwined Quilt BOM Group. I've moved the Yahoo Group over to Facebook because it's so much easier to connect, share images and keep track of each other over there. If you found the Yahoo Group too cumbersome, now is the time to join us in our Facebook Group. It's modern, easy to use and photo uploads are oh-so-easy. See you there!