The Quilt Diaries -What the World Needs Now

This quilt was inspired by a fun take on this timeless song of the same title by Jackie DeShannon. I would love to tell you that this quilt was inspired by the important message of the song, but it’s really inspired by a fun memory and of a parody of this song.  

I always hear this song differently in my head thanks to a performance by my brother and his friends at our high school floor show many, many years ago. The floor show was the big high school talent show and it was a big deal in our small community. This show was such a big deal it was hosted at our city Civic Center each year that boasted 2,500 seats.  We’d enjoy many songs, dances, and musical performances from many talented students. But the big finale we all looked forward to was the Senior Boys Chorus Line. All the senior boys who had the guts to get up on stage would perform together in a final number, usually a fun parody of a popular song.

One of the most memorable Senior Boys Chorus Line performances was my brother’s class doing their version of “What the World Needs Now.” The boys cleverly opted to showcase our local culture with their version, “What the World Needs Now is Cowboy Love…” which they sang as they donned cowboy hats and boots in a memorable cowboy chorus line. We grew up in Dodge City, so it was more than appropriate at the time! Thanks to the Senior Boys Chorus Line, I will always remember this song that way.

So there you have it, my memory that inspired this quilt. I do think the world does need more love, especially these days. But I’m grateful that this song reminds me of the community I grew up in in a time where it felt like people really supported each other and just had fun. Maybe the world needs a lot more of this, too?

Construction Notes

• The lettering on this quilt was made with glitter iron-on vinyl cut on my Cricut Maker.

• The center heart is appliqued using Heat n Bond Lite iron-on adhesive.

• With this quilt, I learned that I can quilt on top of the vinyl lettering and the quilt looks like the lettering was part of the original fabric. 

Thanks for checking out The Quilt Diaries! Questions? Feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to chat more.