As we move through the traditions and gatherings of the holiday season…often a twinkling melody, the scent of baking gingerbread, a small jingly ornament rescued from the corner of a dusty box….will bring back a memory that startles us with its clarity. Particularly if you have lost a loved one in the last year, those cherished memories are full of sentiment …wrapping us in warm comfort like an antique quilt.
For our holiday preparations, we may be unfolding cherished quilts made by those who taught us the beloved art and craft that we now share. At the same time, we are making and gifting special quilts that may be treasured and shared after we have gone. The older I become, the more I am aware of the family stories that are held in our quilts. Many of you chronicle your family history, the times that we live in, by making quilts documenting those themes and events.
During these times when we look forward and backward at the same time, we glimpse the thread of Time that connects the generations of our family. The Christmas cookies that you made with your grandmother, perhaps now you make with your grandchildren. We smile in the beauty of these moments, knowing that the younger people in our lives may have a similar realization in the future.
This week I had a memory pop up from the depths of childhood. I remember being chosen to play the angel in our local church’s Nativity play. I remember my mother curling my hair into ringlets. I remember having to stand a certain way so the wings would not fall off. I think my costume was the same white sheet with a hole for my head, that had been used at Halloween for a ghost costume. And I remember the cast party with an assortment of cookies that I had never seen before!
As you prepare for the holiday season, I do hope you will have some quiet time with needle and thread. Grasp the thread that runs through our lives, our families, and the times we live in. We are all woven into the rich tapestry of history as the clock ticks, and every day is a gift.
Sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul
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Feb 2 – SAQA Europe/Middle East – Zoom Lecture
Feb 18-21 – QuiltCon – Raleigh NC
Apr 26 – May 1 – Alegre Retreat, Gateway CO
May 16 – New England Quilt Museum, Soul Stories Artist Reception
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