We have found over the last 21 years that Nature-themed fabrics are often the most popular. Wildlife, flowers, forest, birds, ocean, sky, fish and bugs make up a huge percentage of the fabrics that we cut and ship out to you. We know that when it is snowy and cold outside, these images bring us joy and comfort. When we look at trees, water, and mountains, it brings a sense of peace. We can almost hear the water lapping on the shore, the birds calling from the forest, and the wind rustling the leaves. Just as a scent can bring back a childhood memory, the colors and images of happy times can be captured in a quilt when we choose fabrics that touch those memories.
My family moved from California to Colorado when I was 10 years old. I was a Brownie, then a Camp Fire Girl in California. Then I was a Girl Scout for awhile in Colorado. So I had plenty of camping outings in the California woods and the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Later I went to a music camp near the Continental Divide. We would sneak out at night and walk to a nearby meadow, spread out blankets in the damp wildflowers and watch the shooting stars. For those of us who have a fierce love of Nature and wild things, we’ve tasted the elixir of Mother Earth and she whispers to us from the cells of our very being.
Right now it is fire season in Colorado. The smoke is now mixing with the ozone pollution and making it difficult to breath outside. The mountains are full of baby animals now, and I think of them when I see the smoke. My love of Nature has led to my adventures as a wildlife photographer, and after many close encounters with wildlife (including babies) my concern for the creatures in the forest and the ocean is very personal.
If you’ve placed an order with us before, you know about our list of charities. We support the Ocean Conservancy and the Wild Foundation because of their advocacy for critical conservation issues. I’ve gone to speak at federal EPA hearings, and I was invited to go to Washington DC this summer to lobby for Endangered Species, but of course the trip was cancelled due to the pandemic. I was to speak at the World Wilderness Congress in Jaipur India, but that was cancelled also. I’ve been asked to participate in a virtual lobbying effort on August 20th, and I will go and speak on behalf of species threatened with extinction, and will speak for all of you who care about these things. Feel free to send your thoughts about this to me and I will speak on behalf of you as well. Together we can continue to be a force for good on t he planet.
eQuilter is a sponsor for the ‘SAQA Textile Talks’ each Wednesday, and I urge you to register for these free weekly discussions about art quilts and textile arts. Like Nature, it is a balm for the soul.
with hope for the future…
Luana and Paul
