Amanda writes:

“I love to use old jeans and flannel to make “rag” quilts.  They are perfect for camping, picnics and laying in the grass and reading a book on.  The good thing about this type of quilt is that I don’t have to be really precise, as you do in piecing a quilt.  It doesn’t matter if my lines are crooked, or don’t match up evenly because the clipped fringe hides any mistakes.  I also enjoy making these because they are fast, and warm.  I always feel a great boost to my self-esteem when I have created something with my two hands.  It brings me pride and happiness.”

Pauline says this about her quilt, entitled “Waiting to Hear”

“My husband was in the process of searching for a job. He had applied to many different locations, and I was very anxious to have news of where we would end up moving. To help pass the time, to keep busy while we waited, I created this quilt. I designed the pattern myself after learning about paper piecing.”

Wendy created the following two quilts decades ago…one with pictures drawn by grandchildren for their grandma (Wendy’s parents):

And this one created for her in-laws, including pictures of their deceased parents — a family history quilt:

Michelle had an idea to pull together multiple photos from her husband’s travels. She says this about her creation:

“It’s not your typical quilt. It’s made mostly out of jersey fabric (not a good choice, but I had purchased some on sale and wanted to use it). I also used old jeans (denim) to frame the pictures. Not being a quilter, I didn’t really know what I was doing; I sort of made it up as I went. It was a lot of work! But my husband loves the quilt and it did capture his  wanderlust. Note that I even included a playbill from a Broadway play and a plane ticket! ”

Mary created these quilts for her grandchildren one year for Christmas. This picture only includes three, but she made nineteen of them!

——-

*How do you create? Share your creations with us! Send us a photo with an explanation to ‘mormonwoman’ (or ‘mormonwomen’) at ‘gmail’ dot ‘com’. We’d love more pictures of Mormon life as well for future Glimpses photo essays.

The post Mormon Women Create through Quilting appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

About 5 years ago a good friend lost her dear baby just a few days after birth. Having recently moved across the country (USA), I could not be with her during those very difficult days. As I pondered over ways to possibly help from afar, I had the idea come that I could use my artistic talent to create healing and increased eternal perspective for their family.

The only pictures my friend had of her little baby were of her surrounded and covered by hospital equipment and tubes. My friend sent a favorite picture of her daughter and from that I painted a portrait so they could have a vision of their precious daughter without the incumbrences of medical treatment.

This was one of the most holy experiences I have had while creating. I felt that this was important to our Heavenly Father; He wanted comfort for my friend and an increased understanding about the true doctrine of eternal families. While I felt my abilities were beneath the importance of the goal, I knew that I was the only one available to do it and that the Lord would increase my talent for the best result.

The baby’s portrait was received with happiness and gratitude. When my friend’s family takes a picture they stand in front of the portrait, where it hangs in a place of honor in their home. I feel humbled and amazed to have been a part of the healing process for my friend and her family and I’m happy to know my talent could be a source of so much good. It might be the most God-like of service, to create unselfishly for another’s benefit.

The post First Person: Healing through Creative Service appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

How do you create? Did President Uchtdorf’s words inspire you? Please tell us!

We would love to see photos of your creations, too. This could include almost anything: art, photography, sewing, cooking, gardening, writings, crafts, woodworking, clothing, music, etc. Please send photos of your creations, along with a simple explanation of how it was created and why, to mormonwoman at gmail dot com [or mormonwomen at gmail dot com]. We are looking forward to your submissions!

For more Weekly Questions, please click here.

The post Mormon Women Create appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.