Yesterday, I read John Flynn’s blog post, New Piece of Quilt History, and thought, “The information has come to me!  Is this coincidence or what?”

John mentions reading Sheila Allan’s Diary of a Girl in Changi, about her experience as a civilian prisoner in the Japanese prison, Changi, during World War II.  One of the projects the Red Cross used to keep prisoners’ spirits up was a series of three quilts, the Changi Quilts. 

          They were “stitched by women on recycled rice bags,” mentions John.  “The [three]quilts were given to the Red Cross for the wounded  Australian, British, and Japanese soldiers.”

Whether the quilts made it to the prisoners is rather doubtful because they have survived and can be found in various displays.  See a picture of one of them here…. at the Australian War Memorial.  Both the Australian and Japanese quilts are displayed here.  The British one is in England.

Many of the women signed their blocks.  According to the song, these may have been messages to loved ones to let the men know the women were alive.  (Men and women generally were separated at these prisons.)

I’m anxious now to get Shelia Allan’s book and learn more about this episode in quilting history and WWII history.

Post from: Blisstree

Quilting in a Japanese Prison

Music while you work usually creates an uplifting atmosphere.  Do you listen to music for relaxation, to help you concentrate, drown out distracting sounds, or simply because you enjoy it?

Yvonne Russell set me thinking on this topic…music while you work, when I read her post, Whistle While You Write…7 Songs Meme, at Grow Your Writing Business blog.  Although Yvonne didn’t tag anyone for the meme, she invited readers to share their thoughts on music while working.

I prefer quiet music, relaxing music, yet something with an upbeat tempo.  There are some nostalgic songs from my youth that appeal, like The Twelfth of Never, which I listened to at the dentist’s the other day.  This resulted in a pleasant conversation about music with the dental hygenist (as much as I could talk while she worked).

I discovered Native American flute music when Jim and I visited Sedona, AZ.  Music from the Civil War era fascinates me.  I can visualize the ladies making quilts to send to the soldiers while softly singing some of these songs.  Yanni’s songs are others I find enjoyable.

My daughter has a CD of lovely quilting songs by Cathy Miller.  One of hers is One Stitch at a Time that we often play.

Think about it…  What type of music do you like to listen to when you’re working?  Or do you prefer quiet?

              I won’t tag anyone either, for a meme, but would find it interesting if you’d share the music you enjoy.

Post from: Blisstree

Do You Listen to Music While You Quilt?