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Friday, December 14, 2012

Inside Out...

You're making your way through a rack of clothes and you come upon a jacket labeled "Reversible".  Even though it's semi-ugly, the word triggers an automatic response - you can't resist taking it off the rack just to check out the inside. More than likely, if it's tacky on the outside, it's a given that the inside won't be much prettier. Perhaps it's the thriftiness in me, or the creativeness, I'm not sure, but I will always look at the inside, even though I have no intention of buying it. To me, "Reversible" usually means "bulky", "unattractive", or "I would NOT wear THAT on the outside!"

Some things are okay with their insides showing.  I spotted a knitted cowl in a yarn shop that I thought was kind of cute.

"It's reversible", the sales person said, like that fact alone was going to make me want to make it. I took a peak at the inside, and sure enough, the inside actually looked the same as the outside. Bonus! So I immediately purchased a nice soft turquoise wool and sure enough, it's going to be lovely...and reversible!


Some things are meant to be reversible...like a quilt.  When experts judge a quilt, they look at the back of it, just to see and judge the quality of the stitches. When you make a quilt for a bed, the back needs to be just as pretty as the front. I've only made one real bed quilt. I loved designing and sewing the quilt top, but hand quilting turned out to be not so much fun.  My Mom finished it for me. 



The back of an art quilt, on the other hand, doesn't usually show. It just hangs on the wall.  However, the art quilt aficionados will ALWAYS try to lift the quilt to see the back.  The intricacies of the quilted stitches and thread painting are what make art quilts "works of art".  I'm presently working on my second art quilt, inspired by the colors of New Mexico. I am using a multi colored thread in the bobbin, so the back of the quilt is quite interesting on it's own.  I have a long way to go!


Some things are not meant to show their insides...like drawers.




Certain things are sometimes prettier on the inside...like people.  Unfortunately - or maybe not - we often hide our "inside" self to the world, only trotting it out for special people. We are basically vulnerable people, exposing our underbelly to those whom we trust, those whom we love.  We live on the outside, editing our words and curbing our actions to fit in, to be liked, to be okay.

Often, who we are "on the inside" has far more value than we ourselves believe.  In truth, we are complex and messy creatures...a wonderful mish-mash of beauty and ugliness, intelligence and stupidity, grace and clumsiness, generosity and selfishness, creativity and indifference, calm and angst, confidence and insecurity. Inside and out, we are "fearfully and wonderfully made".

Praise the Lord...we are reversible!



Laurel.  Inside Out.


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8 comments:

  1. This is a lovely and thought-provoking post. Your knitted reversible scarf is soft and beautiful. I do like reversible as it lends more options. Nice peek at your art quilt and stitching. Inside or Outside...let's put our best on both. Creative Bliss...

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  2. Great thinking -- but so difficult to trust enough to show our inside, right? :)

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  3. "...we are complex and messy creatures..." I will second that!

    What a delightful post, full of truth.

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  4. Oh I like this post it makes you think. I am inside out most of the time good or bad:)
    Love the detail stitching on the quilt. B

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  5. The creative process, like the pursuit of truth, is usually a bit messy. I have no idea what this means but it would be great in a fortune cookie.

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  6. I must say that my first reaction is usually the same as yours--nuh uh! But,it is so true that we have beauty that doesn't show until it's usable and needed. And those reflections of God are truly beautiful.

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  7. I am so sorry but I didn't see your award comment to me.. life has been so hectic of late I am sore pushed to write on my blog. Thank you so much I will see what I can do to fulfil the requirements but with my birthday and Christmas coming up, time is rather short at the moment.
    I love this post about inside out, it is beautiful. I say a Thank you to God each day that He can see my 'inside'
    and sees it as beautiful.
    Chris xx

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  8. what an interesting thought!! I would like to be pretty on the inside AND outside!

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Thanks for visiting my blog. I appreciate all those who share and leave their comments very much. Laurel

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