Paula's Hearts

This is a Crazy Quilt in progress. It is called "Paula's Hearts". It has trims sewn to the seams at this point and I am going to embellish them with stitching and other things like buttons and beads, etc. The fabric the Hearts are laying on will be the background fabric and the Hearts will be appliqued to it and the background will be machine quilted. I will post more pictures as I work on it. I think I will make it as a wall hanging. I thought of making a pillow but I decided not to.

My husband's Uncle Paul died from the treatment for stomach cancer in October, in Denver, CO. He was 71. He was an amazing man and he was married to his Soul-Mate, Paula, for almost 36 years. I married my Soul-Mate so I can relate to what her loss must feel like. I am making this quilt for Aunt Paula.

Uncle Paul was a Methodist Minister and knew that he wanted to be a minister, right out of high school. He marched and was arrested in the 1960's in Mississippi for supporting civil rights for African-Americans. I am sure that this was a very difficult thing for a Caucasian man to do in those days. Many folks that fought for equal rights in the 1960's didn't live through the experience.

Together with his wife Paula, they reached out to person's with AIDS, over 20 years ago and he served as Vice-President of the Board for the Center for the Church and Global AIDS. They traveled to India to provide seminars for education and prevention of the disease. More recently, he was arrested in Colorado for demanding equal rights for same sex couples and has been secretly marrying gay couples for over 30 years as the church did not support this.

Uncle Paul never wavered in his belief for equal rights for all and was committed to justice and inclusiveness for all, no matter race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or geography.

My memory of him is as a gentle, loving man who listened when you talked, had a great sense of humor, and loved his family. The world will be poorer without him. God must need another Angel.

Paula is a loving, sensitive and very special woman. I hope she feels the love that I am sewing into this quilt!