I was inspired by recent posts from Lizz and Qalballah about quilting. I have loved quilts from as far back as I can remember. Something about them speaks to my soul. I love them so much I included them in my thesis so I thought I would share that part of my thesis with you now (bibliography available upon request).
Here it is....
Everyday Magick in an Amish Life
For the Amish, home is a sanctuary, it is God’s home (Bender 76). Amish families typically have 8 – 10 children (Bender 104) and from the beginning of their religion to be Amish has meant to reinvent the world together, in the everyday, as a family (Stoltzfus 78). In an Amish home one gets a feeling of Zen, according to Sue Bender. There is a natural self-forgetfulness in the Amish that lends to this feeling (Bender 77). Sue remarks that even something simple like washing dishes, is for them a sacred ritual that they all understand and follow (Bender 44).
Amish women have a spiritual connection with their tasks especially with that of sewing (Stoltzfus 78) and nothing brings Amish sewing to mind quite like the image of their famous Amish quilts. One of the most common quilting patterns the Amish use is called the sunshine and shadow pattern (Bender 146).
To me this pattern is almost psychedelic in appearance and reminds me of something I might see at an outdoor music festival in Northern California. The use of dark and light brings to mind for me the ancient understanding of night and day, winter and summer, yin and yang, male and female – the natural harmony of life and nature. Amish women get together and quilt in quilting bees. This is a celebrated social occasion complete with special treats to eat and gossiping to be heard. Some quilting bees last several days and may be comprised of over a hundred women with nearly as many, if not more, children (110)!
I was very interested when I was doing my research with the phrase “Quilting Bee”. Where had it come from? So I looked it up. According to the Pittsburg Post Gazette the word “bee” used with “quilting”, “sewing” or “spelling” as uncertain origins. In England “been” or “bean” means to be given help by neighbors toward a particular task. The word “bee” was first recorded as being used in a “Spinning Bee” in 1769 and was used thereafter for “husking bees”, “apple bees” and “logging bees (Pittsburg Post Gazette).”
I have my own idea. In German the word for Bee is Biene. Bee Goddesses can be traced to the Minoan (Sicily) culture. The Bee Goddess represented community activity, diligence and work (Ransome). It seems an interesting synchronicity that the Bee Goddess would preside over community diligence and embody a spirit of work and community events that would come to be called “bees”.
