My house is full of stories – objets d’art, books, textiles, and tchotchkes that I have collected traveling the world over 40+ years, in 40+ countries. Every time I travel I come home with one special item to remind me of the voyage. Generally there is a textile item like a tea towel, a piece of antique lace or vintage embroidery, a souvenir handkerchief, a tattered kimono fragment, or maybe a hand-embellished scarf from a local artisan. Over the years my collection has flourished and spread, just like my quilting fabric stash. When I am unsettled, I go to ‘organize’ my stash, or re-arrange my travel collection, to clear my head. As I remember the stories, I smile, or maybe shed a tear. The gifts I have received from Russian and Ukrainian quilters are the ones that are bringing tears these days.
However these gifts and travel mementos are also a great inspiration as I ponder my next few projects. The Babushka scarves from Russia, the Dala horses from Sweden, the postcards of Ukrainian wedding headdresses, the Celtic scarf from Ireland…they are a treasure trove of creative inspiration. You may or may not have started to travel again, but I bet you have a stash of what I call ‘wanderlust residue’ that you can spread out on the kitchen table and see what calls to you. Keep in mind these travel collections can be digital images in your camera or on your phone! When I travel I also make a point of capturing an image of anything that catches my eye – whether it be art, color or design – and I keep files of images for future reference. This is how quilters, embroiderers, textile designers, illustrators and other artistic folks keep their imagination filled with motifs and internal creative conversations.
This is why I do not suffer from Creative Block. I always have more ideas than there are hours in the day, or weeks in a year! Looking at photos and visiting my own tiny museum collection of travel collectibles is a never-ending resource of inspiration. Go dig around in your own wanderlust residue this weekend and see what happens!
sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul
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Travel/Quilt Calendar:
Feb 15 – Virtual lecture for Victoria BC Quilt Guild
Feb 22-25 – QuiltCon – GOLD SPONSOR – Atlanta
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 – Sign up Now!
