Rainbow Crow is one of my favorite children’s stories: Once upon a time Rainbow Crow was the most beautiful bird in the animal kingdom, kind and generous too! One day the kingdom fell into darkness and all the animals were afraid. Rainbow Crow, who was very strong and very brave, volunteered to fly to the Creator to ask him to return the sun. The Creator granted his wish and gave him a lighted torch to carry the new light back to the animals huddled in the darkness. As Crow flew home, the smoke from the torch singed his beautiful feathers. His beautiful voice was made hoarse by the smoke that he breathed. By the time, Crow returned the light to the animal kingdom, he was completely black and his voice was only a croak. However, when you look closely at a crow or raven you can still see the stunning colors of the rainbow hidden among the blackness.

I just finished this 24″ circular quilt top. It has gone off to Kris Vierra, of Lincoln, Nebraska, for quilting. I can’t wait to see what magic she works on my version of Rainbow Crow.

There’s nothing quite like a challenge to inspire one to be creative. My small quilt group, Designing Women, has an exhibit at the Esther Bone Library in Rio Rancho, New Mexico through December 31, 2012. The library is located at 950 Pinetree Road SE Rio Rancho, NM 87124, (505) 891-5012. Members of our group include Debbie Caffrey, Mary Chappelle, Cathy Combs, Pat Drennan, Cynthia Figueroa-McInteer, Michele Hymel, Harriet Smith, Lisa Stewart, and myself.

It all began with a love of all things Jinny Beyer back in 1983. I fell in love with her quilt, Ray of Light Medallion, and wanted a quilt like that more than anything in the world. Now, I knew full well that I could not buy her quilt, so I set about learning to design my own. I signed up for a work study group called Medallion, where Ruby Chick, at age 80, was my teacher. She taught me how to design and draft. Using Jinny’s Blocks and Borders book, which was my bible at the time, I designed what was to be my masterpiece quilt. Of course, back then, quilts were ‘supposed to be 'hand stitched'. So, Azimuth, following in the tradition of quilters of the time is entirely hand stitched. It measures 110″ x 110″ and was completed between 1984 and 1989.