Quilt Whispers

Whispers of Managing Our Storms Quilt Background Technique from: Tims, Ricky, Convergence Quilts: Mysterious, Magical, Easy, and Fun. C&T Publishing, Inc., Lafayette, CA, 2003. Pieced and Hand-quilted by Doris, 2003-2005 Despite the Native American legend that the Sarasota area was a safe haven from angry skies, the trajectories indicated that there was little chance of escape from this hurricane as it churned and turned in the Gulf of Mexico, destined to head back east. We were as prepared as we could be. The house was boarded up; all the garden furniture and movable paraphernalia had been brought inside; preparations for food and fluid had been made. The northbound roadways were glutted with evacuees. We had chosen to stay and face the brutal punishment for living in this natural coastline paradise. The city was blanketed by a toxic tension as it waited for the electricity to go down, roofs to be blown off and homes to be crumbled. I retreated to my craft room and pulled out a piece of brightly colored “nature” fabric (which, more than a decade prior, had been our younger daughter’s skirt), and a few matching fabrics from my stash. In this inner sanctum, the delight of creation took precedence over concern for the destruction which threatened it. The hours passed as I cut and stitched following Ricky Tim’s excellent guidelines. The electricity and our home remained stable as the hurricane entered Florida’s mainland through the mouth of the Peace River, lashing its fury on dear ones south of us. As the storm signaled its passing, I stood back to evaluate my work, my attention was drawn to the bird in the bottom left corner. It was the only one in this fabric jungle who stood upright and complete to face its world. Then, I “heard” a simple, solitary melody emerge from this little creature, offering its world an alternative perspective. Sometimes, even in the midst of life’s chaos, we may be surprised by a sudden, unexpected invitation to awareness; an invitation that, against all odds, penetrates the spinning frenzy and lands, silently, in the soul. Regardless how contrasting our circumstances may be, we each live in an environment where a variety of symbolic storms occur stripping us of power, redirecting our choices and leaving a trail of devastation. The ideas and feelings we feed do grow within us so, at some point, we choose the “melody”—the invitation to awareness—we are going to allow to permeate our thoughts, feelings and actions. The supply of hope and dreams is not exhaustible but sometimes it needs to be adjusted as the storms come and go and the seasons of our lives change. The metallic gold quilting stitches on this wall-hanging emerge from this single bird. Their swirls fill the space with the bird’s song like a mist of consciousness and awe that brings nourishment to what lies deep within. Maybe someday, you and I may be like this bird, offering our message of affirmation, encouragement, hope or healing that reaches into the heart of those who are listening. Consider with me: 1. A Chinese proverb in my fortune cookie yesterday that others have quoted is, “Fear is the darkroom where negatives are developed.” How do you respond to that saying? Why? 2. Storms threaten each of us. When you must face fear and anxiety head on, how do you, without denial, disempower their negative strategies that pilfer your strength and joy? 3. What might you have to offer a world that is whirling in the devastation of lost hopes and dreams?