Jai Guru Deva–Project QUILTING Challenge Entry for ‘Across the Universe’

When I first heard this challenge I was stumped.  I didn’t know what I would do.  I already made an amazing quilt for ‘Stars of America’ and it’s one of those things that would be hard to beat.  So, what did I do.  I let it ‘simmer’ in my mind for a bit.  On Monday night I turned on the Beatle’s Song ‘Across the Universe’ and listened to it as I fell asleep.

“Across The Universe”

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup
They slither wildly as they slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind
Possessing and caressing me

Jai Guru Deva OM
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world

Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes
They call me on and on across the universe
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box
They tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe

Jai Guru Deva OM
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world

Sounds of laughter shades of live are ringing through my open ears
Inciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on, across the universe

Jai Guru Deva OM
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Jai Guru Deva
Jai Guru Deva
Jai Guru Deva
Jai Guru Deva
Jai Guru Deva [fade out]

I just had to post the words for you all because they painted such a vivid image in my mind as I slept.  When I woke up – I had my idea!

I love to do yoga.  For a person like me who can never have just one thought go through my mind it’s a very good exercise for me.  To claim that I’m in complete Zen the entire time would be a lie but I do have moments that I can block everything out and be pieceful.  I found the image of the lotus yoga person and new that’s what I wanted for the center of my piece.  Then, I cut out four rectangles of inexpensive pfd fabric to use for the foundation of my quilt.  I drew out ‘rays’ from each corner…slightly off setting so I didn’t create a crazy thick seam in the middle.  Then I did my first fabric pull – space, stars, oranges and yellows to represent the sun.

I quickly added more fabric to this.  This fabric from Tula Pink was absolutely perfect for the line “endless rain into a paper cup.  I decided to use this on the bottom of the piece instead of using the space/star fabric throughout.  To add to it – the colors are just stunning!Here you can see I have three of the rectangles complete and you can start to see the pattern.  There’s sort of a pattern…but not so much that you lose interest.  Once I had all four of my rectangles pieced, I squared them up and sewed them together.  You can see that the points don’t all meet perfectly but I wasn’t worried about that.  My Zen Yoga Lotus person would cover most of that up.I Made my yoga person out of a dark Kona solid and the lotus out of a lime green.  I used some oil pastel fabric pens just to add a touch a shading and depth.  I didn’t want to add too much but I did want to emphasize the infinity simple in the Yoga person just because I think it’s a cool element.

Do you se that the orange print on the right and upper mid left have a design that reminds me of eyes – from the song, “images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes.”  I blanket stitched the yoga person and lotus image to the quilt.  I did an extra straight echo stitch to again emphasize the infinity symbol.  I used metallic thread to quilt straight line rays out from the yoga person. 

The next step was to bind the quilt.  I put on a 1.5” strip ironed in half to create a  lip of the Tula raindrop fabric first.  Then I used the more patterned galaxy fabric for the exterior binding.

Once I had the binding on, I did one of my ‘signature’ binding techniques.  I tacked the ‘lip’ fabric down to the edge in the center of each side.  This creates a wavy effect in the binding that I really like.  You can see it if you look on the left and top of the picture above.And here she is!  All done and hanging in all her glory!  I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to call her at first but then decided on ‘Jai Guru Deva’ because this is not just about ‘Across the Universe’ but also the meditation part of the song.  Just letting things go and ‘slip across the universe’.

I had contemplate adding more sparkle and shine with some Angelina and even quilting words from the song on her but decided that for once – a more plain piece is what was called for. 

 

I love her and I can’t wait to gift her to a good friend of mine!