Size: 35" by 44" or 6.5 square feet

Quilting: 2,501 linear inches or 6.5 linear feet of quilting per square foot

Fabric: black and white 100% cotton with multi-colored pastel and gold accent.

Backing: black and beige music and keyboard - 100% cotton

Binding: black 100% cotton

Batting: Poly

The symbolism in this quilt depicts some of the things I've learned from Maureen in counseling:

• Life is not always black and white - but if we look, we'll see the beautiful colors that emotions bring.
  
  
• Try to think "outside the box."
  
  
• The dual hearts have several meanings to me: (a) My heart is inside God's love. (b) Recovery includes empathy where my heart touches others. (c) My heart towards others is growing as I learn strategies to feel safe while I reach out to others. (d) Recovery includes finding loving (heart-shaped) boundaries to keep my heart safe. (e) Recovery includes opening my heart to my counselor so healing can begin.
  
  
• There can be peace even when my emotions are swirling and feel chaotic.
  
  
• Even when it doesn't show - I can have a song inside; just like a musical motif is on the back of the quilt even though it doesn't show.
  
  
• The pattern is an old one called Snail's Trail (or Virginia Reel) and was often used by pioneers traveling westward. I chose this pattern because I'm learning life and recovery are a journey to places unknown. Recovery, like a snail's movement, is a slow process. I especially liked the snail's trail design - because it reminds me of a happy person with arms and legs moving in a dance of rejoicing.
  
  
• The design is a tessellation, which is defined as one pattern of interlocking shapes that is repeated and has no gaps. Recovery is sometimes similar to a tessellation - doing one new behavior over and over until it becomes natural and comfortable and the old addictive behavior feels unnatural and uncomfortable - thus, the white of the new behavior starts to outshine the darkness of the addictive behavior.