JESUS Underground Debut and Displays of Products

"JESUS Underground" had it's debut at 3rd and Broadway by the KWHS Jewelry Store during the 17th Annual American Quilter's Society Quilt Show on  April 25 - 28 2001 , in Paducah, Kentucky, USA

Sondra Shearouse, a native of Paducah, Kentucky, USA, introduced and began selling her "JESUS Underground" Instruction Manual/Pattern Sheet for making her Quilted Tote Bags and a Wall Hanging.  The design which Sondra calls "JESUS Underground" came out of her experience of living in a country that did not have freedom of religion wherein it was necessary to conceal the Holy Bible in a sack when going out to Underground Christian Church Services and Bible Studies.  Sondra had first made the design in a needlepoint format after having seen a story and photo of one in an issue of "Guidepost Magazine" in about 1983.  Also, part of Sondra's display was her blue and white needlepoint of this long-used design wherein if you focus on the background, you see that it spells out "JESUS"in the background. Sondra had been challenged by a friend to use her quilting skills to develop the same design in a quilted tote bag which she did, thus the inception of her JESUS Underground Quilted Tote Bag.  As far as she knows, she's the only one to develop that design into a quilted format.  Several of the Bible Tote Bags which Sondra had made were displayed ranging from her two original Bible Tote Bags made and personally used while living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from 1983 - 1986 to three new ones: a green print 2-dimensional tote bag, a Navy and Red print 3-dimensional tote bag, and a smaller E-Z tote bag, all containing the JESUS Underground design.   A Bible Book Cover was also displayed to demonstrate another item utilizing the petite version of the design and a Wall Hanging to demonstrate using the large version of the design.  The print of Bette Myers' beautiful painting, "The Masterpiece" was at the center of this first JESUS Underground display depicting our wonderful savior JESUS CHRIST.

I had made a baby quilt and matching pillow for a little baby boy named Noah in our church. The baby quilt was made in "Noah in the Ark" print fabric and spelled out "JESUS LOVES NOAH" in light blue letters on the print quilt.I have the "Jesus Loves Noah" Baby Quilt and matching pillow on display here in the KWHS Jewelry Store window in the photos above and in the photo on the left (a display that took place later in the Spring of 2001 in Downtown Paducah, Kentucky, USA.)  My JESUS Underground Wall Hanging was also displayed in the window of KWHS Jewelry Store (Photos above)

	Here are photos from my display during the 18th Annual American Quilter's Society Quilt Show in Paducah, Kentucky in April 2002 at 3rd and Broadway by the KWHS Jewelry Store. Susan McIntosh with her display of jewelry she was selling is in this photo with me.>
	Here is my display that was in the Gift Shop within the Musaum of the American Quilters Society during the AQS Quilt Show in April of 2002 in Paducah, Kentucky, USA.  The Gift Shop there sells my "JESUS Underground" Instruction Manual and Pattern Sheet.

Below are photos of my display during the 2003 AQS Quilt Show in Paducah, Kentucky at the Jeans Building on Broadway.  My new Patriotic Bag was introduced during this time in which JESUS is spelled out in the background on one side and JESUS is spelled outright on the opposite side using 5/8" Ribbon with a new pattern that is designed to accommodate that size ribbon exactly.  My wonderful husband Skip appears with me in one of these photos below. 

See the banner saying:  "HAVE YOU FOUND JESUS?"