Thoughts of Peace

Thoughts on Peace
Monday, December 20

A smile is the beginning of peace.

Mother Teresa

 

Tuesday, December 21

Those who are at war with others are not at peace with themselves.

William Hazlett

 

Wednesday, December 22

Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel.

Justice in the World, 6

 

Thursday, December 23

True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Friday, December 24

Corn can’t expect justice from a court composed of chickens.

African Proverb

 

Saturday, December 25

Birth of Christ

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

Mother Teresa

 

Sunday, December 26

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience.

Colossians 3:12

MCC Relief Sales across the US and Canada are planning for 2011!

The Peace Quilt measuring 37 long by 40 inches wide is available in the United States.  The Peace Symbol and Machine appliqued Dove Blocks were received from Pennsylvania and the hand appliqued bird block is from Panama.  The quilt is machine quilted by Jane Paulsen from Minnesota.

The story about the center colorful block from Panama came from Susan, who donated the block:
"Believe it or not, this mola was made by the sahila, or chief, of Acuadup, our favorite, little-visited village in Kuna Yala. We had been ashore visiting the school and seeing the children, when a young girl came up to us and offered this mola for sale. She said that the sahila had made it. We didn't think that was possible, so we expressed some skepticism, and were assured that no, he really had made it. We were intrigued. As we walked around the island, many of the people in the village came out to ask if we would take their photos, as they had heard that we would do this and print a copy for them. Suddenly, there was Sahila Roberto, also wanting his photo taken, along with two of his grandsons. We were delighted to take his picture, and the others, as normally the Kuna are shy of cameras. This was a classic "win-win," where we could take all the photos we wanted, and they could get photos of themselves. We asked the sahila about the mola, and he said yes, he dabbled in mola making, and that it was indeed one of his. (We don't really know the word for "dabbling," but we thought this was the gist of it....after all, the sahila has a lot of responsibilities and probably doesn't spend that much time making molas.)


(Photos are available from LJP) and are of the village, along with one of Sahila Roberto. The chiefs typically wear fedoras and bright shirts like the lime green one he is wearing, along with long pants and no shoes. When one meets them, they are usually sitting or lying in a hammock in the congreso, or big meeting house. Usually the chiefs only speak in Kuna,  and have an interpreter there to translate from Spanish to Kuna.  However, Roberto spoke Spanish directly with us. Hope this is the kind of information that will be useful to Marlys. The quilt looks very cool.


Love,
Susan

Color Challenge at Northern Michigan MCC Sale

I attended the Northern Michigan MCC Sale in Fairview, MI on August 6. One of the things they do is called a "Color Challenge." In their Quilters Corner they sell a set of 5 fat squares, of chosen coordinated colors, which are packaged in a large mug with a packet of hot chocolate mix and wrapped in plastic.  I'm attaching a pdf file of the instructions that are handed out with the challenge.  People are then encouraged to make a small wall-hanging to be donated to the sale the following year.  All the entries are on display in a special corner of the quilt exhibit room and sale goers can vote for  the "viewer's choice."  All of these quilts were auctioned in the live auction (although it might have made more sense to have them in a silent auction, although the Fairview sale didn't have a silent auction area).

I thought it was a neat idea and thought I'd pass it along.  I'll also attach a couple photos of several of the entries in their color challenge. The last one (1766) was a representation of The Eric Carle book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Very cute!

Joetta Schlabach

Contact Love, Joy Piece, for Guidelines for Project.

Dove of Peace

The dove is appliqued by Karen Hauff from Shoreview, Minnesota.  Karen also provides a number of quilts including appliqued wall hangings and table runners to support the Twin Cities MCC Relief Sale in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

Peace Quilt Block from Walnut Creek Mennonite Women

Eunice Mast of the Walnut Creek Mennonite Women made the block and was sent in by Lovina Brandt. Secretary Treasurer.  They also support the Relief Sale in Kidron, Ohio, which is the first weekend of August.

Stained Glass appliqued Peace Dove

The stained glass peace dove on point.  Thank you to Ava Neiff from Fairfax, Virginia.

New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada: Quilt-As-You-Go Stash Busters Quilt Pattern

New Hamburg Relief Sale Quilt Patterns
2010 Relief Sale Quilt Pattern

Quilt-As-You-Go Stash-Busters

http://www.nhmrs.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=56

Due to popular demand for a new pattern, Emily Hunsberger went to her drawing board and came up with a versatile design that is quilted and assembled block by block. Traditional quilts are made by layering a whole quilt top with full-sized batting and backing. With the “quilt-as-you-go” method, small units are individually quilted, then joined together. Once joined, the only remaining step is to attach the binding. It is a very liberating experience. If your space is limited, and you thought that you could never make a quilt, think again! This is an extremely versatile technique with countless applications. Every quilt is guaranteed to be one-of-a-kind!

Pattern price is $12.00, with proceeds going to Mennonite Central Committee.

Quilt patterns are available at:
MCC Ontario office (50 Kent Avenue, Kitchener)
Quilters Nine Patch, Elmira
Creative Sisters (Lancaster St., Kitchener)
Len's Mill Stores in Hawkesville and Kitchener
New Hamburg Thrift Centre, New Hamburg
Reichards, St. Jacobs

Patterns can also be mailed to buyers for a cost of $14 ($12 for the pattern plus $2 for postage). Contact Emily Hunsberger at ejhunsberger@sympatico.ca for further information.

2006 Relief Sale Quilt Pattern
Go to the website to view the Relief Sale Quilt Pattern

Peace block from Myra in Colorado

Myra sent a Peaceful landscape quilt block with a church with falling snow. Size is 20 inches by 8 inches.

Appliqued Dove - Stain Glass format

Thank you to Rita from Nebraska for the dove in Stain Glass.

Appliqued Dove on Pink Fabric

Thanks to Jean from the Salem Church in Munich, North Dakota.

Peace "Dove" Machine Embroidered Block #1 and #2

Thanks to two sister-in-laws from North Dakota, the 2 dove blocks were created.

Blessed Home - Available to Travel to Relief Sales

With Relief Sales looking for substitutes for the Basket Traveling Quilt, we offer the "Blessed Home" quilt with the following information:

Size: Queen size
Made by Myra Harder of Winkler, Manitoba.
The quilt can also be a Block of the Month Project and the book is available at quilt shops or from Myra's website, www.bluemeadowdesigns.com. The quilt is also featured on the front of the book.

With the Minnkota and Rocky Mountain Mennonite MCC Relief Sales looking for a Traveling Quilt, they will be using this quilt as an alternative to the Traveling Basket as it can't be available for their two dates.

This quilt can be used to take bids but is not for sale at the auction at this time. Please contact us for additional information and/or see www.MCC.org.

Thank you.

The Quilt was sold at the Twin Cities MCC Relief Sale in 2010.

Stars and Chains - 2 Colored Quilt in Blue and Yellow

Friends and Families living around North America are supporting each other's MCC Relief Sales.  The West Coast MCC Relief Sale donated a quilt to the Twin Cities MCC Relief Sale.  The Stars and Chains quilt was a gift in return from the Twin Cities MCC Relief Sale to the West Coast Relief Sale in Fresno, California. 

The smaller MCC Relief Sales are enjoying the benefits of these relationships.  

Thank you!

"I'm Hungry, Where can I sleep tonight? I want my Mother!"

Information about Quilt:

Approximate Size: 50 x 70
Print Squares are of an African or Polyesnian printed fabric surrounded by hand died fabrics in a simplistic design. The quilt is machine quilted and stitching is accents the printed fabric. The machine quilter, Anita Shakelford, a template quilt designer's donated her services to Mennonite Central Committee, when she heard of the work MCC does globally. The quilt was made by Marlys Wiens. Anita and Marlys met at the Minnesota Quilt Show in Duluth, MN in 2009, where Anita was the Quilt Judge. The added benefit of this quilt has been quilt donations outside the Mennonite and Amish communities.  The quilt's meaning grew when Marlys visited the Mennonite World Conference in Paraguay, South America, in 2009 when on the streets of Ascension she met Carol Ann Weaver and daughter from Kitchner, Ontario and discussed the issue of Aids.  A fellow professor of Carol's "advised" her that she "needed" to write a song bringing awareness to the Aids crisis in the world as a person dies from aids every four seconds.  Four seconds would be a good beat to a song.  As the group talked, Marlys shared that he had a childhood friend in Kitchner, Ontario who she knew from rural Minnesota.  As Carol and Marlys talked further, they realized they were talking about the same person, Lowell Ewert, the Peace Professor at Conrad Grabel.  Carol's CD is available from her called "Every 3 Children" with the song inspired by Lowell.

The picture was taken in the wind with the State of Minnesota Capitol in the background.

The Quilt was sold at the Twin Cities MCC Relief Sale in 2010.

The Basket Traveling Quilt - Texas Mennonite Sale and Auction for World Relief: November 14, 2009, Houston, TX

We displayed the quilt as a backdrop to our Penny Power collection. Penny Power this year was dedicated to food projects. Information about the quilts was shared with people throughout the day. The quilts provided a focus to that area of the sale and more attention then usual. Penny Power was almost $400 above last year.

The Food Basket Traveling Quilt - October 16 and 17, 2009: Rocky Mountain Mennonite Relief Sale, Rocky Ford, CO

The quilt was displayed with the quilts Friday evening and also on Saturday.

During the quilt Auction, Elizabeth Raid and Marlys Wiens gave a brief presentation on why the quilt was made and what the proceeds will go for. Elizabeth represented the Central States MCC Office and of course, Marlys made the quilt. We were thrilled to have her at our sale this year.

The auctioneer then accepted donations for $25, $50, etc. A total of $6,025 was raised.

The Food Basket Traveling Quilt - October 10, 2009 at the MCC Fall Festival in Albany, Or

We had 3 lots of Quilts/comforters to sell by auction. The Traveling Food Basket Quilt was the first number in each of the 3 lots. A short verbal explanation was given each time with the Traveling Quilt displayed next to the auction block platform all day. (We attached it with pins to quilting bars and stood the quilt rights) with sturdy props behind to support it.

1st offered at $1,000 "Blessing Bid", then $500, $250, $100, $50, $25, numerous levels for people to hold up their bidding numbers.

"ALL YOU TAKE HOME IS A BLESSINGS"!

1st lot raised $2,650
2nd lot raised $1,300
3rd lot raised $2,025
Total raised: $5,975!

Submitted by Deanna E.

The Food Basket Traveling Quilt - July 31 and August 1, 2009 at Northern Michigan Relief Sale, Fairview, Michigan

The quilt was displayed at the MCC Information booth, and also displayed during the morning Quilt Auction, as if it were being sold. Instead bidders raised their numbers when the amount announced matched their desired donations.

$1,700 was raised by these "Bids" and several people commented on the beauty of the quilt. It tells a good story.

Submitted by: Carl D.

The Food Basket Traveling Quilt - July 24 and 25, 2009 at Sioux Falls, SD

The beautiful Food basket quilt was displayed at the Sale. It was auctioned and raised about $1,500.

The Lord be with you as you raise more money for MCC with this beautiful quilt.

The Food Basket Traveling Quilt - July 17 and 18, 2009 at Tri State Relief Sale, McHenry, MD

The Tri State Relief Sale displayed the quilt in the quilt preview room.

Our project with the quilt was Food for all. Ken S from MCC talked about the need for food around the world.

The project raised over $2,500.

Blessings as you display the quilt around the world.

Submitted by: Harriet B.

The Food Basket Traveling Quilt - June 22 to 26, 2009 in Fairview, Michigan

Our missions focus for VBS at the Fairview Mennonite Church was Sharing God's Love through Relieving World Hunger. The Food Basket Quilt was used as a visual focus.

Each family collected coins in a Penny Power light bulb bank. These will be channeled through the Northern Michigan Relief Sale on July 31 and August 1.

Each child also took home a small wicker basket which they used to carry back to VBS a few items of non-perishable food for our local food bank.

During VBS the children also participated in a simulated refugee camp and learned how they can make a difference in our world. One little guy asked me to help him calculate how many families he could feed @ $.50 a day with his $2 and $5 bills.

Another little girl said, "I feel so guilty", speaking of all the food she has to eat. Our response is - we just need to be thankful and be willing to share.

The Sundays prior to and following VBS we displayed the Food Basket Quilt in the sanctuary as we shared in a "noisy offering" which the children collected in ten buckets and watched Penny Power Videos.

Thank you for loaning the Food Basket Traveling Quilt.

Submitted by: Sally L, Fairview, Michigan

The Food Basket Traveling Quilt Schedule

The Food Basket Traveling Quilt has been to:

May 2009 Southern California Festival and Sale