Originally published in newsletter 7-11-18:
I am writing to you from an airport hotel in Stockholm, and early tomorrow Sophie and I will start our journey home. The haunting melodies and foot-tapping harmonies of Swedish fiddlers will be with us always. We have had such a beautiful experience in the Heart of Sweden, staying in rural villages, lakeside hostels, and historic B&Bs with the group of music students.
Our last 3 days were up on a hillside in the forest, overlooking a large lake. A moose came out to greet us as we arrived the first night, and we’ve seen plenty of foxes and delicate Fallow Deer here too. We got a kick out of the “Otter Crossing” and “Hedgehog Crossing” signs too.
Our new Swedish friends have described to us the deep snows and magical skies of the Northern Winters. We’ve waded through fields of waist-high purple flowers where a meter of snow lay 6 months ago. We’ve hiked through forests that look like they are home to elves and trolls.
My time spent with Swedish quilters has been very special, and I had one last meeting tonight. Carin took a bus to the airport to have dinner with me before I fly out. She brought an older book about Swedish quilt-making in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I was astonished to see beautiful photos of Log Cabin, Pineapple, and other traditional quilts that we think of as American. Perhaps Swedish immigrants brought some of these quilt patterns to our shores?
Tonight I put together a quilt collage of fabrics that represent what I’ve seen here in Sweden the last 2 weeks. We have a temporary category of Scandinavian-inspired fabrics also. I will be posting photos from the trip on my photo pages in the next week, but for now I need to go to sleep so we can catch our early flight home tomorrow morning!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my travel notes from the land of my Swedish grandmother.
Next week we are hosting Lea McComas’ 2 workshops on Portrait Quilts – hope you can join us!
sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul
Enjoy artist interviews, tutorials, and quilt festival tours, on our eQuilter Video Page.
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eQuilter Classroom & Event Calendar:
July 16 – 20 – Lea McComas Workshops @ eQuilter – Register Now!
July 23 – eQuilter Charity Sewing Day (Please RSVP)
Sept 14-19 – Betty Busby FRCQ workshops @ eQuilter
Oct 6-7 – M.J. Kinman Gemstone Quilt workshop @ eQuilter
Dec 2 – CQC workshop Victoria Findlay Wolfe @ eQuilter
Luana’s Travel Calendar:
Aug 5-12 – London & Birmingham UK Festival of Quilts
Sept 8 – Color Marketing Group – Wash DC
Nov 13-19, 2018 – POLAR BEAR Tour
Dec 23 – Jan 4 – China
