Easter and the UFO
In spring comes the ‘urge to purge’—purge those old, sticky, body energies by eating new greens and walking in the ‘waking up’ woods; purge the clutter, dust, and old cobwebs from the corners and walls, purge old stale thoughts and boredoms of winter. Purging opens space for life. The Tomb, now empty, napkin neatly folded at the end of the shelf, is a reminder that the Easter Resurrection is well-timed to purge the old season in order to resurrect the body, mind, and spirit.
The past few cold days of early spring have reminded me that Mother Nature is alive and well. Her Resurrection will not be denied. Those little green tulip sprouts peek from the soft, snowy blankets, upright, and determined to live! And the Resurrection of Mother Mary’s Son Jesus has also not been denied! Our spirits soar and our bodies are rooted in the sacredness of Life during this ‘waking up’ season.
Like most quilters and other artists I know, I have a cache of UFOs waiting… waiting… for the right time…. to… This is my season to purge at least one UFO—Unfinished Object-- from my shelf. I only have a few of these, as I try to keep up with my projects, and be disciplined in their completion. Well, not so disciplined, actually. (Some of them are 15 years old.) However that is not the case for the other UF’s in my life. Like my UFB’s (unfinished books), or my UFJ’s (unfinished journals), or even my UFT’s (unfinished theologies). They continue to accumulate--and don’t touch any of them, please! …I am waiting for the right season…
Occasionally, I visit my abundant fabric stash; I love to touch the softness of the fabrics, dream of color and texture combinations, fantasize what the designs and outcomes can be next time. There’s a lot of history here; memories of where I was, who I was with when I bought the pieces, dreams, plans for use—much of it is vintage now. It’s kind of like visiting an art gallery. The experience is all that matters at the time.
I am blessed to be able to make art with these pieces, and share from my ‘store’ with my friends. We always need “the one little something to make the block pop”. Do you have anything? Yes! Come over for lunch and we’ll find something! Rumi writes, “Let the beauty you love be what you do”. We have enough beauty to keep us busy for years!
While extremely grateful for these resources that I have at hand to make beautiful items, I get a little anxious because there’s SO MUCH of it! Paul reminded his Corinthian church, that “God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance. “ 2 Cor. 9:8 But when does abundance become clutter? I know it’s an issue fraught with fears, identities, histories, etc., that everyone must come to terms with, sometime. Mystics tell us that attachment creates suffering. You know when that tipping point occurs. We have lived in the same house for almost 42 years. We have not had to purge in order to move someplace else, but the time is here to do ‘something’ about ‘some of it.’ (not my stuff, though. Not yet.)
I have read that the Sea of Galilee is only alive because the Jordan flows into and out of it, unlike the Dead Sea, which has no outlet; an apt lesson. We must share and send on our love, our works, our prayers. I’ve kept very few pieces. Most move on—baby quilts to the maternity department at the hospital, tree skirts and table runners to my churches to sell at fundraisers, gifts to friends and family. Completing a project makes for a sigh of relief, a job accomplished, a prayer sent to someone, (a compensation for paying all that money for a spiffy new sewing machine!)
So, to come back to this UFO that I’m working on: It’s a Lone Star pattern, using a fabric collection that was designed by a friend of mine, Aleta Yarrow. She is a gifted artist who shares her talents and love of art with school children. I think it’s pretty remarkable that someone can design a series of prints taken from a painting, which are then manufactured as fabrics, and sold to thousands of buyers, who in turn will use them for countless, creative endeavors. How amazing is that?! Isn’t that abundance? Isn’t that Creation? Resurrection? Transfiguration? Isn’t that Easter?
Bishop Audrey reminded us last week that the Easter season lasts 50 days until Pentecost. Fifty days. The pragmatist in me sometimes needs a deadline, no, live line to gauge my pace. So, I will continue to transform 128 little rectangles of four different prints into a blazing eight-point star of diamonds. Add a few background pieces to make it into a 40 inch square, back it, quilt it, bind it, and done! Where this Lone Star wallhanging ends up is anyone’s guess. God will help me determine that in the right season. Fifty days. I may even have enough time to tackle another UFO!
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