The Gleam is a quilt that plays with light and perspective, created from intricately strip-pieced silk and cotton. The design changes depending on the lighting and one’s point of view, much like how light shifts and reflects off surfaces in unexpected ways. As a longtime Avett Brothers fan, I’ve named several quilts after their songs and albums, and The Gleam is no exception. The band explains that "the gleam" refers to the light reflected off something, and they felt the songs on The Gleam albums came to them while working on their larger projects. This resonated with me deeply, as I’ve found that, in my own quilting process, some of my best ideas arise spontaneously during moments of improvisation. This quilt reflects that same sense of surprise and inspiration—light emerging from the creative process in ways I hadn’t anticipated.