On July 1, Val Haines received the phone call of which dreams are made.
Her quilt Consider the Lilies has been accepted for the worldwide competition, MasterPieces: Color, Couleur, Colore, Kolör, sponsored by Husqvarna Viking. The theme is to focus on quilt art designed to reflect the many colours of the peoples of the world. The competition is truly international in its scope with the judges being from France, Japan and the United States, and accepts only 25 contemporary quilts and 25 traditional quilts. To gain consideration for entry, Haines had to submit three identical sets of slides, one for each judge.
The quilt is to be sent to the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas, where the winner will be selected in October. The top prize includes a new sewing machine, cash and trophy, and most important to Haines, an expenses-paid trip to the Quilt Festival. Thereafter the quilt will go on tour for two years before coming home to Pender Harbour. Haine is thrilled that so many more people will be able to see it. It started out as a simple play with a variation of a traditional quilt block design. The resulting colour combinations struck her as resembling a pond. Then, with additional creative inspiration from her good friend Lois Mayo, it became a lily pond with amazing three-dimensional flowers, insects, frogs, fish, plants, rocks and a duck, many created entirely out of thread. More character and interest were created with buttons, beads and fancy yarns. Unfortunately, Mayo has passed away, but her voice of observation and encouragement remains strong in Haines' mind. The label on the back of Consider the Lilies will refer to Mayo's inspiration and also to the biblical verses, Matthew 6:28-30. "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin; yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? Oh you of little faith."
Succinctly interpreted by Haines, it means: "Don't sweat the small stuff. Everything will work out for the best" - a philosophy by which she strives to live.
The quilt Consider the Lilies will be on display at Val Haines' shop, The Quilted Path, in Madeira Park, along with some of her other award winning works until July 15, when it will begin its long journey.
