Newsletter originally published 6-30-2018
Tonight I am writing to you from Hudiksvall, about 3 hours north of Stockholm on the Baltic Sea in Sweden.
It is 11 pm and the lavender sky is reflected in the inlet of the Baltic Sea outside our hotel window. The sunset time is listed as 10:38 pm, and sunrise will be at 3:12 am, but that doesn’t fully explain that the sky remains in twilight while the sun briefly dips below the horizon at Midsummer. Hudiksvall is at 61.73 degrees of latitude, compared to Anchorage at 61 degrees north. The air is cool, clean and fresh.
Sophie was invited to go on a Swedish Fiddle workshop tour, and I came along as a parent chaperone because of my Swedish ancestry. This is my first time in this country. We’ve been drinking Lingonberry juice, eating Swedish pancakes for breakfast, and I actually found a place with vegetarian Swedish Meatballs in Stockholm. Today I was in the workshop of a special musical instrument maker, and his woodworking tools all came from Smaland. My 2nd great grandpa came from Smaland, and one family story goes that he came to this country with the shirt on his back and his carpentry tools. Smaland is also the birthplace of Astrid Lindgren (Pippi Longstocking) and Ikea.
I am busy looking for examples of Swedish design that could be applied to quilt-making. This morning I got excited about painted stencils on the furniture in an old farmhouse kitchen. I am also loving the special deep red the houses are painted in the Swedish countryside, and the yellow and blue of the ubiquitous national flag. The rich green of the Midsummer Forest and the lavender twilight sky are magical colors that fire the imagination.
Naturally, I have plans to meet with Swedish quilters! We have traveled North of Stockholm to study with folk musicians, and attend folk music festivals. I’ll be meeting up with quilters who are on a week-long retreat in this beautiful forested area on the Baltic Sea.
As I sign off, we see a bright orange full moon rising, reflected in the violet-blue waters. I am soaking up the colors and folk art here, to share with you in the near future.
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