Last Quilt of 2022

Just finished my last quilt of the year!

This is the second time I have chosen to use the "color of the year" as a starting point for a word quilt that captures the feeling of the year, - or at least how I feel about the year. 

By January of 2021 I knew what I wanted to say. It was right after the inauguration, always a momentous occasion for our country and, regardless of one's political leanings, generally regarded as a time of new beginnings. The word "Refresh" seemed to speak to the moment.  (Here's the link to see that quilt: https://creativelifesampler.blogspot.com/2021/03/project-using-2021-pantone-colors.html)

2022 was a different experience, on so many levels.

First, Pantone chose periwinkle as their color of the year (COTY). It turns out that periwinkle is in the eye of the beholder and I simply couldn't find the right fabric for the project. I finally went with Kona COTY 2022: Cosmos- a bright almost magenta color. At least I had my inspiration fabric.

In the meantime news on the national and international level was coming in fast and furious: war in Ukraine, protests around the world, national politics, and so much more. It also seemed as soon as we'd get past one natural disaster another would present itself. 2022 was action packed. At times it was a bit unsettling, even agitating.

Eventually the question "What next?" emerged as my theme for the year. I chose the "Chiller" typeface because it has a handwritten feeling to it; almost as if someone scrawled it out. I coupled the Cosmos color with orange because they vibrate when placed side by side and I was hoping to reinforce that sense of agitation. 

According to my family this was exactly what I achieved, . . . and they don't much like it. So I guess the messaging is successful.

Here's the thing. I never meant to give the feeling that there is no hope. 

Yes, we have all been through a lot in 2022, perhaps even at a very personal level. I've been thinking about how we all face personal challenges. They may give us pause, but we push through with as much grace and dignity as we can muster, and we are left standing on the other side. What is really impressive is our resilience! 

Now, if I can see that for myself and my loved ones, I should trust that our communities, our nations, and the world can also survive challenges and be better for it. Keeping that in mind, perhaps I will be less agitated by the news. Then this quilt will just be a documentation of my feelings at a moment in time, not a continuous state of mind.