For three years in a row I taught classes in Ukraine. The students were so diligent and were like sponges for the information I had to give them. The best part was that I was teaching them design ideas and not a specific project.
Recently I celebrated my birthday and two of my Ukranian students, Lena Koroleva and Miri Tsoi gathered together several of their quilts and took these wonderful photographs and sent then to me along with birthday wishes. I remember with joy each of the classes I taught in Ukraine and it makes me so proud to see that they have taken the design ideas and turned them into their own quilts.
It is also wonderful to see that they are passing those skills on. A few days earlier, Lena also sent me photographs of students in classes they are teaching. This was the message she attached with the photos:
“Ukraine is experiencing hard times, but people rallied around our common disaster, all helping each other, to help the army and refugees from areas captured. In occupied by terrorists city of Donetsk live almost all my relatives (Donetsk is a city in which I was born and lived for more than 30 years). I am very worried about them.
Yesterday I and Miri Tsoi organized for refugee children from the Donetsk region free master classes on patchwork.”
With all the strife going on in that country right now it is great to see that Patchwork is still going on and brings some measure of joy to the people.
How wonderful! What beautiful quilts they created! (Oh, and happy birthday, late!)
Thanks for sharing, Jinny
You touched their lives and in turn they are helping others “mend” their hearts. This is the power of Patchwork. It helps everyone mend their hearts specially during difficult times in life.
Such a lovely article. They are taking that knowledge and moving forward in such hard times to teach patchwork. Truly patchwork helps everyone heal in one found moment at a time.
Happy belated birthday!
Thank you, Jinny, do not forget us. We love you very much!
I have forwarded this to my friends on Facebook. It is good to hear something heart-warming coming out of this troublesome region. The quilts are beautiful. Well done.
Lovely inspiring quilts and the people who made them. They have shared the secret of creating beauty in the midst of sorrow and chaos.
What a wonderful birthday gift! It is sooo nice to see the women in Ukraine making such beautiful quilts and sharing the craft with the young girls of the area …. Surely this helps to show how powerful handcrafts (especially quilting) can be to help create powerful unions of love, moral support and sharing between women ( and men, too, of course) throughout the world. It makes me feel so good this morning, thanks for sharing this with your happy followers!
Добрый день!Да у нас на Украине сейчас не лучшие времена, но я надеюсь мы все переживем эту беду.А красота ваших квилтов спасет мир! Я очень хочу научиться шить сложные проекты.Я по журналу сшила Лунный свет. Последние 3 года я сильно болею и в 2013 году увлеклась пэчворком и это стало лучшим лекарством для лечения души и тела.И, особенно сейчас , когда у нас идет война.
Translation: Good day! Yes we in Ukraine now is not the best of times, but I hope we all survive this bedu.A the beauty of your quilt will save the world! I really want to learn to sew complex proekty.Ya journal sewed Moonlight. The last 3 years I am sick and strongly in 2013, was fascinated by patchwork and it was the best medicine for the treatment of the soul and tela.I, especially now, when we have a war going on.