The Sparrow Story

Warning:  this post is long and contains many photos - I hope you like my story, it's almost 20 years in the making.

It all started with a fat quarter pack that I picked up in 1996.  It was at the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show and I was with my dear friend, Mary B.  We were traveling and quilting together quite a bit at that time.  I'm not sure how she'll feel about these photos from 2009, but I like them.

Here are the blocks I made with the FQs after adding in some other fabrics.

There is an odd assortment, like this one with spiders.  Many have that weird gold embossing on them.

I was not sure what to do with the borders.  I had only been quilting about 5 years, but I had attended a Gwen Marston retreat, so I was already thinking about how to create my own personal quilts.

While driving along one day listening to my favorite musician, Paul Simon, I heard the song "Sparrow".  My mother, Cathy, had died in 1990 and was still grieving the loss of her.  The words spoke to me and I decided to design the borders based on the song.  (sorry the lighting isn't great on this)

I also like the Biblical references to the sparrow such as
Psalm 84:3
"Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine alters, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God"
and
Psalm 102:7
"I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top"

I've included the lyrics and psalm 84 on the back with the label.

I like the sparrow, she is humble and simple.  I wish I was more that way.

I researched the lettering in the library.  I sat on the floor and combed over many calligraphy and alphabet books.  This is in the days before "fonts" on my computer.  I settled on an 16th century Italian script alphabet.

I entered this quilt into the AQS show in Paducah and to my utter delight and surprise it was juried into the show in 1998.

I included the sparrow in a challenge for the Gwen Retreat the following year and my great friend, Mary, suggested that I include the sparrow in my quilts as a personal icon.  And since I do everything Mary says, I have included it in many (not all) of my quilts.

Here are the some of the quilts where I have appliqued them:

This is on the back with a label.

I can't wait to see this one settled in her quilted nest.

Here are some that are quilted-

This one is in a coffin in my Moby Dick quilt - it's Queque's coffin.  That quilt is another story...

Thank you to everyone that expressed their interest in this story, I hope you enjoyed it!

I'd also like to say a special thanks to coco, who watched all the quilt pulling and photography to make this post possible.  Good Pup!