re-entry

Rain today. So welcome.

I went to a family reunion – brothers, sisters, partners, kids. And my son came from Denver. This was a big deal because he hasn’t been east in don’t-know-how-many-years. He was only here for a few days, but I think we made the best of our togetherness. Not only him, we also came home with Sam’s grandson (15 years old). For two nights, we doubled the people under our roof. I was happy to realize they were both sleeping with handmade quilts while here. Not all made by me, but it still feels like it’s offering something of value to these young men’s lives. Plus, the charm of Maine, where you need a quilt overnight in August.

Yesterday, I drove my son to the airport. It took all day. Today, I’m resting at home in the rain. Getting reacquainted with my routine. Taking care of the accumulation of garden produce (sort of). Doing a little handwork here and there – knitting, weaving, stitching, just to get my hands back into it.

I love the look of this quilt top. Especially this part with several of Jude’s threadcrumb patches and a beautiful square from Deb Lacativa. It’s not ready to be used, it’s just half a top at the moment. I really want to finish it so I can have it available as a blanket of protection.

…the art and ritual of lowland settlements in the Euphrates and Jordan valleys presents women as co-creators of a distinct form of society – learned through the productive routines of cultivation, herding and village life – and celebrated by modelling and binding soft materials, such as clay or fibres, into symbolic forms.

page 245, The Dawn of Everything

I think this quote from Dawn of Everything is somewhat related to this family experience. I love the idea of making celebration of our “form of society” with cloth and fibers.

PS There’s just one more quote to post.

PPS – to my shock, my son bought a Steiff teddy bear wearing an adorable knitted jacket at an antique store we visited. For one thing, he doesn’t spend money easily. For another, I don’t think of him as that much of a warm-and-fuzzy type. This too is somewhat related.