My
Refracted quilt returned home from the Quilt Con show last week. I was excited to get it back and see what was said about it. Then I opened the box, and like a lot of other blogger friends, got a shock, that turned into disappointment, that resulted in some tears, and finished with a crumbled up piece of paper thrown in the garbage. That took all of about 5 minutes.
The next morning brought a new day and with it some fabulous blog posts that brought me peace and clarity. Especially
Angela's, Thank you Angela!! In reading through all of the supportive comments given to her, I realized something important. This wonderful online world of quilters is a family in every sense of the word. We support each other, we stick up for each other, we love and encourage each other when we are down and we are each important and have a value in making up the whole. I am so happy to be a part of this family!!
So, after some time, and some contemplating "trying to walk in someone else's shoes" I decided, that in my mind, the MQG, including the judges are part of this family too. They were trying to help. Maybe not the most tactful way of helping, but trying none the less. I would never want the responsibility that they were given and so I can't really get upset about the way they did it. And making this decision made me happier!!
So . . . to keep me on the "happier" path, I decided I would take some of the critique given and give it a go. I really didn't remember much of the specifics from the critique (that's what happens when you read something once and throw it away), but I did remember the comment that the judges wished the quilt fabrics represented more of the inspiration behind the quilt.
The inspiration for this quilt was the way light refracts from a prism into a rainbow. So . . . If I am taking that representation literally, I figured I need some black and white, and a Kona charm pack . . .
Divided into a light, medium, and dark rainbow. And I am ready to start cutting!!
I still love the original Refracted just the way it is, and will always love it regardless of how it was received because it was my idea and vision of it. But I figure, every quilt has another way to be looked at and interpreted (Heck, that is why I love doing Quilt-A-Longs!), and if someone else see's another vision of mine, who's to say it won't come out just as lovely. And I just happen to have a partner for the
FLQS, who is all about improv piecing and rainbows. Could there be a more perfect opportunity to do a little Rainbow Refracted Remake ? :) I get more and more excited about this project the more I think about it!! And it has the added bonus of me also getting happier about the whole Quilt Con thing. So thanks Judges, I am sure you did your very best with a task that not many of us would want, and I will take from it what will help me to improve to my very best.
book. I haven't shared much about it since, except for some other little kids enjoying their cake on it from the 
