I sent Karen Koons, my contact in Alabama, a jpeg of the prototype. This is her response to me:

It is perfect!
Jane (other staff) and I had tears in our eyes when we saw it.  When you look at these pictures you can see why, too. Here are some samples of our consecration service of the new building.  Make sure and also note the chairs as well as the red and green walls.

Know that the altar will be in front at times and other times it will be vacant, but I think it is more than appropriate!
We love it!

Now, I have tears in my eyes!! Here are a some of the photos she sent me.

That red wall is where the commission piece will hang. Notice the lime green on the chairs.

Notice that lime green wall in the back – my kind of paint choice!!

My heart beats strong seeing these young people singing and knowing that they will be singing praises in front of my work in the future. This is such a wonderful gift that has been given to me.

Thanks to all my blogging friends for being so supportive. I really appreciate it!! A couple of things have happened to brighten my day.

We have been in ongoing negotiations with the sellers of our Portland house because the inspection showed that the furnace is not big enough to heat the house. We had a HVAC person test it. Our Realtor Cynthia turned the thermostat up to 74 yesterday morning, 6 hours later, the temperature was 60?Ǭ?! They kept claiming there was nothing wrong. We wanted an allowance to add another furnace in the attic to heat the main floor and to blow in some insulation. We were ready to walk (not really). Last night, they finally signed the addendum and the house will be ours, March 1. So that is off my worry list.

I also talked to the president of the guild and she said that she had nothing to do with my dismissal from the website design team. She had been away from her computer and knew nothing of the e-mails, which had been copied to her. This was part of my angst – that she did not contact me at all. I finally called her because I wanted to know why this had happened. It was the work of one person who for some reason wanted me out of the equation. I am ok with that, knowing that it was not a board decision. I have to let my ego take a nap once in awhile!!

And, I have completed the commission prototype. For the client, I have fused silk squares in the color run close to what I plan to use.

I did not satin stitch the crosses because they are small and it would take too long for a sample. I have always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to simulate a large cross in the yellow section. I’m not sure how I will do this in the final piece, but for this, I cut a fused one. I have the quilting lines radiating out from the cross and I think it gives the piece a focal point and the quilting adds some drama. You have to imagine this 7 1/2 feet square. I think it will be striking.

So, I am off to get things in the mail. I have two quilts with photo images that I want to enter in the Art Quilt Images show in North Carolina. And  I need to send a photo of the commission sample and the fabric samples to Alabama.