Swiss Baskets, The Reveal!

Swiss Baskets ~ 53" X 53"

This quilt, begun in 1999 and finished this week is, at long last, completely complete (see previous  post)! I based the design of this one on a pattern  "Aunt Boppy's Baskets" from the book The Joy Of Quilting (© 1995) by Joan Hanson and Mary Hickey. I was inspired by that pattern which incorporated antique lace doilies into the baskets and wanted to create a similar effect using handkerchiefs collected while living in Switzerland.  Using a method known as "channel (reverse) applique" I added the lettering to spell out Switzerland in the three languages I heard on a daily basis while calling that country home for three years.  I have recently acquired a box full of handmade, antique doilies and may make another, similar, wallhanging... hopefully in less than fifteen years! The two photos below depict the quilting in more detail, show the dimension of the baskets and represent the quilt's colors much more accurately. 

Life is Good!

Fête du Muguet

Fast forward a few years from 1984, I remember another charming May Day tradition when we were living in Switzerland. We lived in the French-speaking Canton of Geneva where French customs and traditions were both observed and embraced. They have a most charming custom to usher in the month of May: the buying for oneself or friends a bouquet of lily of the valley (muguet de bois). Lily of the valley is referred to as a "porte-bonheur" something like what we would call a good-luck charm. On May Day vendors pop up on every corner selling little bunches of lily of the valley. Commuters are everywhere clutching their lily of the valley, the public transportation is perfumed on the first day of May. (I can still recall the sweet fragrance even now!) My mother and dad were visiting us from the States on May Day, 1997. My mother wanted me to have a bunch, from her, to commemorate the occasion. We hiked (and I do mean HIKED... it was a very steep hill!) to the top of our little village, where the shops were, so that she could buy me a small bouquet from a vendor set up in front of la Mairie. It was worth every strenuous step, they are among my favorite flowers to this day. Thanks, Mom!

Life is Good!
... and oh, so sweet...

Moments in Time...

As much as I wanted to christen the new quilting table yesterday, I couldn’t. I did some damage to my lower back when I was moving a sewing machine on Sunday morning and knew that if I didn’t surrender, at least temporarily, to a heating pad and Aleve I’d be in for much more trouble later. The sideline rest had its benefit, I watched Gerald Ford’s State Funeral from the National Cathedral with all its ceremony and magnificent splendor. I was in awe at the assembled dignitaries and broke out in goose bumps when the hymns were sung by the choir. I marveled over the speeches by Henry Kissinger and Tom Brokaw and cried for the family when the flag-wrapped coffin was loaded onto the Michigan-bound jet amid the haunting strains of “Goin’ Home”, Dvorak’s 9^th Symphony.

But, above all, it was Denyce Graves' vocals that I will remember the most when I think back on this service. She sang The Lord’s Prayer with such grace and at the same time dynamic force, that it took my breath away. It was indeed, a moment in time, for all time; one I won’t forget.

This reminded me of another moment in time; a time when I worshiped in a congregation where The Lord’s Prayer wouldn’t/couldn’t be forgotten. This congregation was comprised of many cultures and nationalities, all gathering together in a centuries old building in Geneva for an Evangelical Lutheran service; preached in English, by a Pastor from Canada. There comes a time in the liturgy following the Great Thanksgiving when the congregation is called upon to pray the Lord’s Prayer. This Pastor, in Geneva, astutely called on this congregation to pray the prayer that our Lord taught us, “in the language in which you learned it”. And so it was; there in one place, at one time, praying together one prayer to one God in every language! There we stood, shoulder to shoulder, from Belize, from Hungary, from Malawi, from the United States all speaking a different language… it was disconcerting at first, a cacophony, everyone finishing at different times; and yet it was comforting too, realizing that God heard and understood each and every syllable uttered amid that buzz of languages. I came to look forward to praying in this fashion and miss it sorely still, even today.

As I step gently, tenuously, into this New Year I reflect on where I’ve been, gratefully accept where I am and eagerly anticipate where I am going. I will pray the prayer that our Lord taught us (in the language in which I learned it!) with fervor and excitement; comforted in the knowledge that He hears, He understands, all people at all times… forever and ever.

Amen

Life is Good!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like...

...Christmas!

It better, I'm hosting the annual Quilter's Tea at our home this morning and it's now or never.


From the dining room:
A portion of my angel collection, most of these are gifts from Paulie, my long-est (I shy away from calling her my "oldest") friend!





Our nativity came from Brienz, near Interlaken, in Switzerland. My husband surprised me with this entire set one Christmas, I cherish each and every figure. The village there is teeming with master woodcarvers who transform small blocks of wood into these masterpieces. Brienz was one of my favorite places to go when we lived in Switzerland, nestled between jagged, snow-covered mountain peaks at the end of Lake Thun.

My Quilt tree. This Christmas tree is in my studio, it is adorned with quilts, sewing themed ornaments and patchwork angels and Santas. Most all of these decorations are gifts, it reminds me of all my precious friends and how blessed I am everyday.

From our home to yours:

Merry Christmas!
Life is Good!