|
|
On June 19th, 2002 our grand-daughter Carys turned eighteen. In the months leading up to the birthday, Charmian had encouraged individual family members to create squares for a quilt, expressing their feelings for Carys. The photographs below show Charmian and Carys exploring the meaning of the various squares, and the quilt itself.
19 June 2002 Dear Carys, *
Your great-grandmother Olive's fine tatting *
Your great-grandmother Flora's embroidery and crocheting *
A flower from your grandmother Charmian's wedding dress *
Echoes from your grandfather Neil's poetry And, in fabric brought from
Canada, you will find echoes of family yet to be experienced. You are invited to reach out
and touch the ties that hold you within family, and to find the patterns that
have shaped you as you have 'absorbed experience' *
In Japanese your name means 'happiness, reasonable, helpful' *
In Welsh you are 'the loved one' In the top-left hand corner of the quilt you
will find *
An imprint of your cousin Tayla's feet at age 4, made during a craft
session with Charmian. *
In the same square is a flower from Charmian's wedding dress. *
To the immediate right of that is a piece of your great-grandmother
Quintrell's tatting. *
Directly below the feet in a purple square is Tayla's illustration in
which she has sown 'I love it when you play with my hair'. *
Below, and slightly to the right is Ricki's colourful flower to tell
you that she thinks you have blossomed into a beautiful woman. * Below and to the left of the flower is Frai's 'For love of the
game'—netball of course!—with colours of the two teams you have most
recently played for. * Further to the right is a square depicting Western Australia. The gold
seam represents the mining town of Kalgoorlie where you was born, and the
colours are of the WA football team—the West Coast Eagles. In the centre
* Under Charmian's patchwork, is Lorene's square saying that you have
'ChARYSma'. * The squares around this, contributed by Chalien, show school and favourite clothes * The written squares 'All Awareness' and 'Absorbing Experience'
(sown by Charmian's sister-in-law Jan Wilson) are taken from Neil's poem -
the poem you have framed on your bedroom wall—based on the photo taken of you
at Port Elliot. * The little characters drawn below are from Andrew and slightly to the right is a photo of you in a playhouse made by Charmian * Further down is a cow motif—contributed by Alicia in recollection of
a birthday gift from of a phone cover. At top right: *
The left panel is a piece of felt—for comfort!—from Charmian, of
course! * To the centre right is your name in Japanese, and the kimono girl is a
reminder of your visit to Japan in 1999. * Further below is an exact copy of a letter to Charmian from you (at age 4
½ when you were living in Melbourne). *
On a pink square is a little girl in a replica of the pink dancing dress
Charmian made for you when you were 5. * And below that a tray cloth embroidered and crocheted by your great-grandmother Wilson. There are also pockets for
comfort and security when you need them! With love on your birthday and our wishes for your happiness with the offer to wrap yourself in the warmth of your family's love.
******************************************************************************************** For
Carys: two years old at Port Elliot The
running edge of the tide breaks and
folds its length onto the sand She
stands and lets the shallow wash of the waves touch
her tentative toes absorbing
experience thoughts
as formless as the sea Later,
she will add form to experience and
be grown Now,
she is all awareness The
surge and suck of the tide The
shifting sand A
world without edges © Neil Quintrell 1986 |
