A Spool of Thread
A shaft of early morning light spills across a basket of spools, highlighting the threads’ varied hues. The colorful strands are indispensable to a crafter. In quilting, thread is used to bind a project together as well as decorate a quilt top with intricate designs. Some are stitched in contrasting shades while others are almost hidden against the same tint of fabric.
Each quilter uses her own patterns, palette of colors, and threads to make a unique creation. As authors, we choose our themes and a palette of words. We, too, have strands that bind our project together. Though we have acknowledged our many connecting threads in Quilting Lessons, we want to share with you about two special family members and their invaluable contributions.
Priscilla Cook Gibson, an avid quilter for more than 25 years, provided family and friends with her quilt creations. She graciously made the quilt blocks we requested as we wrote our stories. We selected the block names and themes, and Priscilla chose the fabrics and expertly made the designs. We used her lovely quilt blocks to inspire us as we wrote. After our book was put together, many of Priscilla’s quilt squares jumped off the pages with vibrant colors.
Peggy Olafson Curtis’ photography has appeared in juried shows and is sold in gift shops, markets, and galleries. When we entered the production phase of our devotional, Peggy photographed all 30 of the handmade quilt blocks. What an undertaking! She also produced the front cover photo, our signature image. Ironically, she had taken that photo a few years previous for our friend Joni. Peggy asked us, “Will this photo do for the cover?” Did it ever!
Priscilla’s quilt blocks and Peggy’s photos pulled our stories and meditations together and brought them to life. They freely lent their creativity and years of talent to our book. In Ecclesiastes 4:12 we learn “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (NIV). For us, these two women were those strands that bound the devotional together. Just as threads bind the blocks of a quilt, we are strengthened by living threads—loving relationships. Our Almighty God reminds us we are stronger together.
We don’t always consider the living cords and threads in our lives. Nor do we often think about how we may be an indispensable strand in someone else’s. Yet we are blessed and thrive because of people who are willing to share their love, time, talents, and gifts with us. Like the simple straw basket of spools, we are reminded that relationships come in varied hues and are not easily broken.