In this time of darkness, we are each asking ourselves, "What can I do? How can one person make a positive difference when faced with such tragedy? ..." We know that the world as we knew it is gone, and that what we do now will determine the kind of world our children will live in. We need to turn to the things we deeply believe in and who we really are to help us navigate through the chaos and uncertainty. One of the things I feel the most strongly about is the fact that I am a quilter. I was born and raised in France, and being a quilter gives me a sense of what it means to be American. Through quilting, I feel deeply connected to our foremothers who navigated through times of chaos and uncertainty with grace, courage, and wisdom.
How have quilters done this? We have put out sorrow and our grief into our quilts; we have put our rage and our fear into our quilts; we have put our hope and our despair into our quilts. By doing so, we have brought love and a sense of beauty into the world. We have connected with each other; we have shared our feelings; we have shared our patterns. By doing so, we have brought a sense of community and a sense of stability into the world. We have supported each other; we have taught each other; we have celebrated each other's accomplishments. By doing so, we have brought a sense of security into the world. And, quilters have done so much more, so much that cannot be put into words.
Today, we are again called upon to bring love, beauty, community, stability, and security into the world. We will keep making quilts and, one piece of fabric at a time and one stitch at a time, we will recreate a sense of community, stability, and security for our children. One piece of fabric at a time and one stitch at a time, we will push back the darkness.
We won't make the headlines of any major newspaper around the world, but I truly believe that there are thousands of quilting angels cheering us on because they know what a difference we make in the world. Let us support each other, celebrate each other, and in the words of the poet Rumi, "Let the beauty we love be what we do."
I am truly honored to be part of the quilting community, and I hope our publications and website brings you beauty, security, and love. We have received countless e-mail messages from quilters all over the world expressing their sorrow and sympathy regarding the tragic events of September 11. I know these caring messages were not meant just for Chitra Publications but for all Americans. I want to tell you how grateful we are for your love and support. We need it now more than ever. May God bless each and every one of you.
Christiane Meunier, Publisher
Chitra Publications
October 3, 2001
Publisher of Quilting Today, Traditional Quiltworks and Miniature Quilts
