The Ugly Quilt

I am so blessed to work at Sparrow Studioz. Its an amazing place, very unique, and wonderful people to work with. At any given time there are at least 2 of the 8 creative people here, and if there is more, well the place is just buzzing.

As you can imagine we see  many beautiful quilts pass through our doors. Its easy to become a "quilt snob".  That's a very real danger. Its a danger because we start to value only the beautiful and turn our nose up at the ugly.

One such quilt passed through my hands awhile ago. It was a mess! The fabric was cheap, the borders were improperly put on, and the edges looked like they had been torn instead of carefully cut. I was asked if I wanted to tackle it. I looked it over and yes, my nose turned up. 

I did decide to take it on though and it has turned out to be one of my most memorable quilts. Through discussions with a co-worker I learned of its story. A lady had made this for her brother. She had never quilted before.  It was going to be a gift.

I was humbled. It was pieced with love. It would be a treasured gift reflecting the love of a brother and sister. I was determined to do my best once I heard that. I fixed the problems that needed fixing, loaded it on my frame, and with care, quilted a simple design.  There is no such thing as an ugly quilt, I learned that lesson.

We are all a mess when compared to the perfection of Christ. He loves us and treasures us anyway. That quilt reminds me to seek out the stories behind the quilts. We all have our own story, and if we pay attention, we will learn from each others story.  

Don't dismiss the ugly, look beyond and the beauty will be revealed, and will be treasured.