I read an interesting article today about inheriting generational or genetic memories. Not sure if they have ‘proved’ this yet, but I am pretty sure it exists in my family tree. At the very least, I know that the summertime memories of my mother overlapped with my childhood memories, and then my kids’ summer time explorations.
My mom lived on a farm as a little girl, rode her horse bareback to school, jumped in a gentle river from a tire swing to stay cool, and picked berries to make money. Her love of horses, swimming and berries definitely became part of my own childhood memories. Some version of that got passed on to my kids too. My grandmother had a huge organic vegetable garden, and planted flowering bushes outside of bedroom windows. My mom did that too…I had a lilac bush outside my bedroom window as a kid. When we moved into this house, I planted perennials, bushes and trees that would flower year-round. My grandma also grew rhubarb and made the most fabulous strawberry-rhubarb pies. I haven’t learned how to make them, but I love a slice of rhubarb or berry pie in the summertime!
Perhaps you are indulging in the nostalgic equivalent of summer comfort food as well. Repeating those summer rituals brings us closer to our mothers, grandmothers, and others who helped to create those precious memories. The climbing roses I planted years ago on the stone wall next to our front door, are also a memory of my grandmother. Their fragrance greets me in the summertime, and it is almost like my grandma is there to wrap me in a perfumed hug…just like a quilt. I love to choose fabrics that bring back those memories, and then put them in a quilt. You too?
Last week on Textile Talks, Teri Walker gave an excellent lecture on activist quilts. She included a few of my quilts, and a few of my quotes. If you have time, I hope you will enjoy this recording. These weekly talks are FREE, and the recordings are all online.
When you read this, I’ll be on my way up to Quilt Canada in Edmonton, Alberta.
Hope to see many of you in Edmonton this week. If you see me, please do come up and say hello! I am there to photograph the show, and I will share photos with all of you when I return.
Sharing your love of fabric…
Luana and Paul
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Travel/Quilt Dates:
June 19-22 – Quilt Canada, Edmonton
June 27-28 – Intl Quilt Museum, Lincoln NE
July 29 – Aug 5 – Festival of Quilts, Birmingham UK
August 27-31 – Speaker at World Wilderness Congress, Rapid City SD
December 5-13 – Textile & Costume Tour – Italy. Alpine Xmas Market Extension Dec 13-15.
