I asked for a name for this quilt on FB. I got a lot of good suggestions, some of which I might use for new quilts. I named this one City of Peace. After naming it I appliqued all the archways that are a slightly darker fabric, to make it look more like Jerusalem. Then I went back to ChatGPT for help with my artist statement. This is the AI version, which was based on the name of the quilt, but not an image of it: City of Peace is a quilt that envisions an urban landscape not just as a place of steel and stone, but as a sanctuary of harmony, connection, and hope. Each fabric panel represents a building, road, or skyline, pieced together to form a cityscape that radiates warmth and unity. The intricate stitching mirrors the unseen threads that bind communities—acts of kindness, moments of stillness, and the shared dreams of those who call the city home.
The colors and textures were carefully chosen to evoke a sense of balance, where diversity thrives and differences weave together into a greater whole. Through this quilt, I invite the viewer to reflect on what it means to create peace—not just in the spaces we inhabit, but in the way we live, interact, and build a future together.
In a world often defined by its fractures, City of Peace offers a vision of urban life where every thread is part of the fabric of understanding, compassion, and hope.
This is my final version, using both my words and ChatGPT’s: I started this quilt a few years ago in a class by Krista Hennebury called Speed Date with Improv. On the design wall some of the blocks looked like houses. I eliminated those that didn’t look like houses, and made lots more. Then it looked a little like Jerusalem, so I added some appliquéd middle-eastern archways. I quilted it with a walking foot. I worked on this quilt while the latest cease fire/hostage negotiations were being publicized. The intricate stitching symbolizes the unseen threads that bind communities—acts of kindness, moments of stillness, and the shared dreams of those who call the city home. In Hebrew, Jerusalem means “city of peace.” I hope that in the future Jerusalem will truly become a city of peace. Through this quilt, I invite the viewer to reflect on what it means to create peace—not just in the spaces we inhabit, but in the way we live, interact, and build a future together.
