Warmest of Christmas Wishes

St Martin, Caribbean

This has been a year of rather few “releases” from my own UFO box.  I am certainly happy though, with some small achievements underway, especially on a floating, tiny home.  Just think, another new quilt started!  I also managed to give away at least 6 of my quilts to good homes, so that’s a bonus too.

Well, we won’t be back in time for me to do my annual new year’s UFO box audit, but the promise of travelling so long this year means that, fingers crossed, we will have a full year at home.  Yippee!!  I’m starting my let’s-get-busy list for my garden shed (my sewing room in the garden) even now.

I've kept my ear to the ground for some textile stories along the way.  Some though need a bit more work and research before being released!  Add to that my computer is not happy and is need of replacement.  Soon, very soon.  

Until then, wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year with family and friends.  Remember to take the time to do some quiet stitching or perhaps design just a few more quilts to make… Or explore the wonderful world of textiles. 

Graphics courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

Eating Humble Pie

St Lucia. Still. Leaving any day now... Sure!

Dear Friends,

Specifically, those who have commented on our blogs and never been answered, we send to you our most humble apologies.  Having managed our blogs for some 17 years now, the Galley Slave/Blog Manager has only just stumbled upon the Comments section.  Here lie many missives, that until now, have mostly sat forlorn and unnoticed.  Oh dear!  

Our Galley Slave has just finished revitalising the now ageing blogs.  A perfect job indeed when on hurricane watch sitting in a marina for a few months.  Low season maintenance tasks!  We have six blogs to manage, with only two connected to our regularly accessed, email accounts.  These are the busiest blogs, although I hasten to add that none of them are appearing in any top ten popularity lists (just yet!).  That’s fine with us; we’re not in it for glory, money or bow bunny pix.  We started our blogs as an easy way of keeping contact with family and friends as we moved about and to have journals to remind us, in our dotage, of “our wilful youth.”  They are also a way for us to participate in and share with our communities.  The Cap’n writes of his boat maintenance efforts and GS, her travel and textile finds.  Our Cap’n is also a big fan of the Cruiser net community.  Many a problem has been thus solved.  

Thank you all for your efforts to engage us.  We shall endeavour to be more attentive and prompt in the future.  Always learning!  And a big thank you to everyone who reads and enjoys our adventures.

A rare moment in front of the camera earlier this year.
A good champagne will do that for you, every time!

Once in a Blue Moon

Shades of Moon, 2024

The Hunter Moon, (October 17^th), found us still in St Lucia; Its size and brightness over 3 nights was just amazing to see.  I learned that the Hunter Moon traditionally announces the last opportunity for a night hunt as the depths of winter draws in.  Its bright light, usually sustained over 3 nights, allows hunters a last chance to fill larders before cold winter months. 

Of course, having lived mostly in the southern hemisphere where the full moon in October announces that summer is close (Dec to Feb), full moons have no names as far as I know.  And yes, I know it’s the one moon we are looking at regardless of location!  The closest we might come to full moon references is If someone tells you that you are “barking at the moon“.  Generally, that means you’re as mad as a hatter!  Anyway, back to the Hunter Moon.  Having discovered one named moon, I got to wondering if the other months had named moons too.  And they surely do, and have done, for a very, very long time!

Research on full moon names led me to my first “list” dilemma, naming choice.  Yes, there’s more than one set of names!  There's scientific and traditional.  Well, for me, traditional has more story to it.  So, the difficulty then, was deciding between essentially, agrarian or nomadic collections.  Currently popular is the North American Indian naming system, however, my interest lies more in the Celtic/Anlgo-Saxon names given family heritage and farming connections.  Anglo Saxons in essence, based moon names on many years of observing seasons and farming.  Fascinating reading in all and I’ll add some links below so that you can read up on it too! 

A (not-so-pink) Pink Moon, Trinidad 22 April 2024

As I read, I better understood the importance of the moon in life long ago. Stonehenge has a connection with seasons.  This made me think too, of church bells, tolling the time of day across village communities.  Also, shades of Jane Austin!  Mr Knightly announced to the community, his intention to marry Emma, at the end of Harvest Feast held in his ancestral pile.  If you’re curious too, the “English” moons are named:

o   January: Moon following Yule (Pre-Christian not Christmas)

o   February: Snow

o   March: Lenten

o   April: Egg

o   May: Milk

o   June: Flower

o   July: Hay

o   August: Grain

o   September: Harvest

o   October: Hunter

o   November: Blood

o   December: Moon before Yule

o   13^th Moon: Blue Moon (when a moon appears twice in a month and the second moon is so named.  This event occurs only every two to three years).

We've never yet seen the famous "Green Flash".  Setting sun, Grenada.
A Mead Moon was due, 10 days later, on 23 June 2024.

Now just what has this to do with textiles and quilting?  I’m sure there must be loads of traditional blocks that feature moons in some form or other.  Of course, quilting may not date back to Celtic times but certainly, the UK has a long history of textile production.  Making textiles for clothing, stitching quite humble bed coverings, fashioning artfully stitched quilts; it was a very real process of survival and making do.  I can image the women under candlelight, spinning, weaving and stitching by the fire, while the men were out hunting - by the light and good guidance of a Hunter moon.

Further Reading (by the light of the Moon!)

Perhaps the best reading is from Time and Date, with most bases covered.

Otherwise, Time Meddler has a clear & concise English Version as does the Maine Farmers’ Almanac.

Then, there is always reliable Wikipedia with lots of links and further sources.

And to meet a quilting astronaut, here's an article on Karen Nyberg and a 2025 exhibition at the Kennedy Centre.  

So, what sparks your creativity?  Try developing a few full moon ideas, here's another.  I know I will be...  And Have Fun!!

Just take a look at this wonderful Sindhi applique quilt.
Use traditional art to inspire you!  (Wiki Attribution)  Wiki Quilts

Good Wishes

All Graphics courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

Yes, it’s that time of the year again.  Amazing how quickly it sneaks up on you!  Rather than sending out newsletters this year, our adventures have been mostly covered over our 7 months of Windjammer3 travels anyway.  Link to the WJ3 blog, here.  Surely guaranteed to get you snoozing!

It has been a slow year in the textile travels department, largely due I think, to quilts not being an essential item for the tropics.  Fabrics though are another matter.  I am looking forward to finding fabric stores in Trinidad when we return with hopes of locating wonderful waxies (African prints) and colourful designs that make life Carnival every day of the year.   

We trust Santa brings joy to you and your family this festive season, where-ever you are; under a blanket of snow or basking in tropical sunshine.  Have a wonderful and peaceful Christmas and New Years, and allow at least some time to kick back and relax.  After all, you will need to be match fit for a game of cricket (or tennis) and have that barbie fired up, ready for Australia Day.  Lamb chops and lamingtons essential!

Flighty Feathers

 Spicemas Carnival 2023, Grenada

We were so lucky to have timed our arrival in Grenada with the celebration of Carnival this year.  It is a costume makers delight and although this is not my stitching bent, I wanted to see what is without doubt, an exuberant and "over-the-top-is-best" art form.  We did not get to witness the costume judging competition, and as it threatened rain in the evening, some of the grand & very expensive costumes were not display.  Still, it was a spectacular event! 

Rather than repeat myself, here is a link to my previous summary of the 2023 event and photos taken during the 4 hour parade.  And here are a few more just to tempt you.

Quilters in the Caribbean

Happiness is finding a Quilt Store

On the off chance of finding African wax fabrics (fabric lengths rather than clothes) in St Martin, I went in search of textile shops.  Well, there aren’t many, but one big surprise was finding a quilt shop, A Stitch at a Time, located in Cole Bay, Sint Maarten, which fortunately, was within easy walking distance for me.

Owner Lyseth Olaria, keeps a very tidy and inspiring quilt store offering a neat selection of colourful (and very tempting) patchwork fabrics, including trays of fat quarters.  Aside from a huge display of sewing gadgets (and who ever has enough of those?), there was a nice selection of machines, wadding, bag making supplies & more – in all, an Aladdin’s cave for any quilter!  We bonded over our love of Bernina machines…

A peek at what's inside A Stitch at a Time

Lyseth was very friendly and most helpful, making suggestions and showing bolts of colours that could make suitable matches for my own small bag of scraps.  She also gave me plenty of browsing time given my need to explore and select just the right fabrics.  Lyseth clearly knows quilters and how we love to touch the cloth!  I had an absolutely wonderful time given my 3 months of quilt making deprivation, though I’m not so sure about the Cap’n!

You can tell, the Cap'n was enraptured !

A Stitch at a Time is in a group of shops in Orange Grove Plaza, Unit 3C, Orange Grove Road, Colebay, Philipsburg, St. Maarten.  It is open on weekdays from 9am to 6pm.  Phone: +1 721 - 544- 3224 & Email: info@stitchatatime.com.  Lyseth’s blog can be found at http://www.stitchatatime.com.

When you visit St Martin, Lyseth’s quilt shop is an easy run (by taxi or mini bus) from Marigot or Phillipsburg to Cole Bay along Union Road.  A Stitch at a Time is on the corner of Union Rd and Orange Grove Road, but I doubt you will find any street signs.  (Use Google Maps on your phone.)  In the next block is your nearest landmark, the vast ACE Hardware store, more like a Department Store than a Hardware!!  No fabric though.

My selection of blue & whites (very Dutch, yes? & a great find!)

A Quilt of Belonging…

This is not exactly what I had planned for today.  Really!  I was making a “things to do list” with hopes of doing a bit of blog tidying up.  Somehow though, I fell into a rabbit hole and ended up searching for information about Caribbean textiles.  All is not lost however, as I discovered a spectacular quilt called “A Quilt of Belonging”. 

Photo of the Quilt of belonging at the Inaugural exhibition at the wikipedia:Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. Photographer: Nick Wolochatiuk.

The concept is amazing, the result even better.  Although finished in November 1998, I can’t say that I’d heard about this quilt and I must have been dozing in my garden shed when/if it came to Australia.  The block for Australia is one of embroidered wildflowers, beautifully done by Lyn Prichard.  The write up by the Australian High Commission leaves a lot to be desired.  Perhaps it would have been better to have assigned that task to our famous Quilt Historian & Collector, Dr Annette Gero.  The craft of quiltmaking came to Sydney’s colony (NSW) with British female convicts.  The Rajah Quilt was made in 1841 during the women’s transportation.  

If you are interested in a brief overview of Australia’s quiltmaking history then a good place to start is The History Blog.  Otherwise, seek out one of Annette Gero’s excellent books.  They are guaranteed to keep you away from your sewing machine for weeks.  Of course, you can always count this as research and inspiration!  Time well spent, I’d say…

So, getting back to the Caribbean, here are the colourful blocks provided by these tropical island countries to A Quilt of Belonging.