Bella Luna

I got a wonderful present from Grandma and Papa. Grandma's friend Lydia made me my own personalized work of art, a handmade quilt, called Bella Luna. It is just beautiful! Dad has hung it in my room, so I can look at it everyday!

And with the quilt, Lydia included a note which explains the design:

Read the work from lower left hand corner to the upper right hand corner, which is purposefully blank so that a unique symbol of Isabella can be added: perhaps a picture, piece of lace, brooch, etc. The darkest shades from the bottom left give way to medium and then to light tones, to represent pregnancy culminating in a bright light with an “awake” moon and pink star. During the construction, work stopped half way as we waited to know that a baby girl was born.

Some of the blocks represent the following: shooting stars (corner left) for conception, blue water fabrics for early life stages, only the moon’s reflection at first in the early stages to show fragility and then later a sleeping moon as the journey progresses. Net ribbons represent fragility – even to the point of birthing (note the pink ribbons in the upper corner). Some blocks are constructed of double fabric (gauze on top) to remind us of tenuous and tender growth. Green was introduced to symbolize healthy life. The motif of the backing fabric is “family”.