Out of the Past!

I love it when something good from my past comes back into my life.  In 1995 I was part of a very large quilting community here in Atlanta.  All of Atlanta was gearing up for the 1996 Olympics to be held here.  It is tradition that the host city give gifts to the participating countries - 2 to each country, one for the flag bearer and one for the head of the delegation.  Since 198 countries were competing that year there were 396 gifts needed.  As soon as the announcement was made that the olympics would be in Atlanta, quiltmakers got to work.  By 1995 there were indeed, 397 quilts ready to be gifted, one special quilt for the president of the olympic committee and the rest to the participating countries.  I was proud to make a quilt and to conduct a class which collaborated on a quilt of my design.  In addition many of us made individual quilt blocks representing individual countries which have been in storage at the Atlanta History Center ever since.  The olympic quilts were published in a book and some in a calendar.  Now, the blocks will be published too.  However, there are some new countries either formed or participating since 1996, so some additional blocks are needed.  I am again privileged to be able to add two new blocks: Burundi and East Timor.  BURUNDI is a small landlocked country of Africa.  In 1993 Marguerite “Maggy” Barankitse saved 25 children from slaughter during the worst year of the civil war.  She started a home for the orphaned children, a former school house she named Maison Shalom, “House of Peace”.  Since then she and her team have operated “children villages”.  These 500 small houses provide children the support and nurturing they need by reintegrating them with loving families.  This quilt square is dedicated to Maggy , her team, and all her children.  EAST TIMOR is in Southeast Asia at the eastern end of the Indonesian Archipelago.  One of the world’s newest countries, its people have developed a number of industries to support the economy.  Coffee production, silver jewelry and beautiful hand-woven textiles are purchased by tourists and exported as well.  This quilt square is dedicated to the industry and beauty of the people of East Timor.

Burundi Quilt Square

East Timor Quilt Square