Lotus Blossoms
I stitched this 6" quilt square for the Tsunami Quilt project. For those who may not remember, a massive earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004, causing a catastrophic tsunami.
The objective of the collaborative quilt project was to create a hanging quilt that was auctioned to raise funds for the tsunami victims. It was to be a inspiring quilt to send a message of hope to those who lost everything. I got the idea of using a lotus from a friend who wrote:
"As I was thinking of a design for my square for the Tsunami quilt, I asked the ESL [English as a Second Language] teacher about any ideas....his wife is from India. He told me that for both Buddhists and Hindus, the lotus is a symbol of hope because it floats above the mud and water and survives. WOW!! What perfect symbolism."
I couldn't agree more.
When I found this chart in my stash, I decided to try and complete a square in time to be a part of this ambitious project. I stitched just a portion of the original pattern for the quilt square so that the image would fit in the designated size block.
What I liked about this project is that a quilt was made by international stitchers and quilters, then auctioned off on an online auction site. Rather than the quilt itself going to someone in the disaster area, the money made from the auction will be sent to a reputable organization helping tsunami victims, UNICEF.
That way, the person receiving the quilt appreciated it — after all, they spent good money on it via the auction. And UNICEF got what they needed — money.
You can see my quilt square on the Tsunami Quilt site, page two of the photos. It's quite something to see all these quilt squares again after 14 years.
Back in the day, I collected giraffes and giraffe cross-stitch charts. (I no longer do). Giraffes were my mom's favorite animal. I stitched my first giraffe in her honor in 1998 after her death. To me, a giraffe is a symbol for people who "stick their neck out" for other people. I aim to be that kind of human.
So I had a ton of giraffe charts to choose from. This is the first of the giraffes I planned to stitch in 2005. I chose this kit so I could try a new finishing technique.
After the crosses were stitched, I sewed a piece of muslin onto the back of the stitchery while backstitching around the edge of the giraffe. Batting was stuffed into the "pocket" between the stitchery and the muslin. Then the backstitching that forms the details of the legs are stitched. This is what causes the puffy 3-D effect.
I had a goal of finishing/framing all my stitched giraffes in a similar way — with a gold frame and a black mat or black detail. The kit came with this gold plastic frame. I added the black bow detail.
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