During a recent meditation session at work, the facilitator guided us through a practice that celebrated the glimmers in life. Glimmers are the opposite of triggers; they are the little joys in life that spark inner peace and collectively add up. In a world full of triggers, glimmers are one antidote to all of the anxiety and stress. Glimmers are the things to savor: a warm cup of coffee, flowers in bloom, interesting cloud formations, a favorite song, a letter in the mail, a text with a cute baby picture, a favorite outfit, warm bread, etc. The fact that the practice was held on a Monday morning by my employer (hooray for businesses that embrace wellness!) was perfect timing to nudge my week in a more positive direction. When things just feel so damn blah (and there is so much heaviness out there), the concept of readily available bright spots steadies me.
What I love about glimmers is that they are the small, everyday things that are recognized only by paying attention. In a world full of distractions, I can appreciate glimmers only by being present and acknowledging them. Another reminder to intentionally slow down instead of rushing. If I sit with my morning coffee and am thankful for it, this moment helps establish a pattern of gratitude that (ideally) lasts throughout the day. Which is easier said than done when things are hard. It’s all a practice.
I am fortunate to have things in my life that create endless glimmers — let’s call them sparkles. My primary sparkles (or sparklers?) are relationships, creativity, nature, music and books. Oh and food! And what could be more lovely than when all of my sparkles fuse together into one quilt. My latest blanket is completely improvisational and inspired by the basalt cliffs of Washington state. The primary blue and pink toned batik blocks were crafted close to 2 years ago in a Joe Cunningham workshop. The blocks were super fun to make, but at the time, I didn’t know how I wanted to use them. I do not feel any guilt when I make something and put it aside to age, I guess like you’re supposed to do with wine. The right time always comes around for my “aged” blocks and because I run a mostly zero waste operation, I don’t worry about something not being used. With the image of basalt cliffs on my mind after a restorative spring camping trip, the blocks suddenly found a home. I composed a general layout and then got to piecing and sewing odd shapes together into a composition. I trusted my gut for the design and let my intuition guide my journey. Decision fatigue is real and I was able to avoid it here to let the quilt develop in its own way. I added some contrast to the palette with bold yellows and greens from my ample scrap pile. My intuition guided me to the exact yellow that mimics the riot of flowering balsamroot in spring. To complete the quilt, I added long diagonal hand stitched lines in alternating rust and sky blue threads. The pattern created by the hand quilting is visible on the upcycled chambray backing. The end result is a quilt that can never be duplicated. It is truly one of a kind.
Speaking of one of a kind, while composing this quilt I read Bread of Angels, a memoir by the legend Patti Smith. I’ve read several of her books and she is, no surprise, a stellar writer. The book details some of her younger years before becoming a musician, her marriage to Fred Smith, and her grief. It was a beautiful, honest portrayal of love, loss and a life well lived. Naturally the book also encouraged me to go back and listen to her music. It’s hard to believe these songs are close to fifty years old because they are still so powerful and modern. Or maybe that is because she influenced many of the artists I listen to. My favorite Patti song (and obviously a lot of other folks’ too given the amount of covers) is Because the Night. An interesting fact from the book is that the music to the song was written by none other than Bruce Springsteen and Patti wrote the lyrics. The piano intro alone is sheer perfection as I am a total sucker for a good song intro and buildup. When you look at an artist like Patti who has lived authentically and is still going strong and promoting peace in a hate filled world, you cannot help but be encouraged. And grateful that she uses her gifts to bring many glimmers into the world.
When I’m snuggled under this quilt, as I am right now, I can feel the comfort and the sparkles enveloping me. I will never tire of looking at how the blocks intersect and thinking, damn girl, you did good here. It is a real firework (final analogy!) of a quilt. We, and I mean the global We, are all creative with a unique talent that cannot be duplicated. I truly believe that creativity is inherent, it just needs to be explored and nurtured. Even in small ways, we can express our creative spirit and bring bursts of joy to our days. I am completely in love with this quilt because not only does it remind me of my local geology, it also reinforces my trust to let go and flow.
Quiltunes 