This week I was thinking about all the places I’ve traveled where the local gourmet delicacies or drinks were touted as ‘good for your health’. This includes Guinness in Ireland, Whiskey in Scotland, Red Wine like Pinot Noir, Balsamic Vinegar in Italy, Green Tea in Japan, Coffee in Scandinavia, Chili Peppers in Sri Lanka, Garlic (Kimchi) in Korea, Swiss Chocolate, and even Camembert Cheese in Normandy. ( I was told that Camembert Cheese can cure cancer, on a tour in France.) I have to admit I turned down the snake soup in Hong Kong, which was supposed to keep me ‘warm’ in the winter. Nope.
Compared to the long list of things that are supposedly not good for you (which changes over the decades) there is one thing that researchers have studied and have agreed is good for us: Creative Crafting, including quilting, sewing, knitting and crocheting. It is right there next to petting your dog or cat, for lowering blood pressure and stress levels. Well who knew? Of course, we ALL knew that already, but good for those researchers who went out and proved it to be true. *snort!*
Community ties and friendship have also been studied and proven to be good for our health. Research has found that having a variety of social relationships may help reduce stress and heart-related risks. As if we didn’t know that already. One of the best things about the quilting tribe is…the community….or you might say the fellowship. Right now I am feeling very happy just anticipating my trip to QuiltCon, which is right around the corner. (See our full page ad on the back cover of the QuiltCon Magazine!)
Even if we don’t live forever, sipping red wine, eating chocolate, and making quilts…we know there is a good chance our quilts will be around long after we move on to the great quilting hoop in the sky. That’s why it is so important to put a label on the back of your quilts, with your name, location, and date.
Anybody who has found a label on an antique quilt, or a quilt made by a great grandmother, knows the thrill of discovering the provenance of a precious quilt. A quilt with a story from the past captures our imagination and whispers to us across the decades or centuries, especially if we can run our fingertips across hand-stitched or hand-appliqued details made long ago. When my dear friend Mark Lipinski came up with the idea for the Slow Stitching movement, as he was dealing with a serious health challenge, we responded because we recognized the healing benefits of a mindful stitching practice.
So do something good for your health this week!
sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul
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Travel/Quilt Calendar:
Feb 15 – Zoom lecture “Intl Quilt Trends” – Victoria BC Quilt Guild
Feb 22-25 – QuiltCon – GOLD SPONSOR – Atlanta
March 21-14 – Washington DC
April 18-26 – Pour l’Amour du Fil – Nantes, France
June 8-10 – Quilt Canada – Halifax, Nova Scotia
August 18-24 – Bear Camp in Alaska
