Mar 31, 2010

Of vacations and creative inspirations

Ah — vacations! Jim and I recently returned from a nine-day vacation to northern California celebrating our 30th anniversary. As we drove, passing highway signs I kept saying “we have a subscriber here,” and “oh, we have a subscriber here, too!” Even though we now (thankfully!) have a mailing house printing addresses and mailing each issue of American Quilt Retailer, after many years of putting labels on each copy, everyone in my family became familiar with all your shop names and locations. So, as this was a vacation get-a-way, and we could not stop and visit each one of your shops in northern California, I did think of so many of you as we toured this beautiful state.

We started in San Francisco, drove to Yosemite, back to San Francisco, then down the incredible Hwy. 1 to Carmel and Big Sur. Anyone who has traveled this road, knows the scenery is totally awe-inspiring in its grandeur. I took the last 400 of the 1,100 photos documenting our trip on just this one day. 

Upon learning of our planned Hwy. 1 drive, three different people during our journey said we must have lunch at Nepenthe, a restaurant perched on a cliff high above the gleaming blue Pacific. Nepenthe means “no sorrow,” and in a total state of vacation nirvana, this was just the right place to stop. Just north of Big Sur, nestled up some stairs and surrounded by trees and flowering plants, the outdoor eating area was colorful and inviting. Ever seen outdoor stadium seating like this set-up? The patio area had a large, raised outdoor fire pit. The open-air interior had a large raised indoor fire pit. Accent tables were covered with inlaid mosaics of colorful bits of tile and glass. Created by God and embellished by man, every detail of the environment was to promote joy, peace and relaxation. It worked, too! The food was great and the view from our table equally as spectacular as the entire day had been. Both Jim and I could have stayed right there forever.

Bill and Lolly Fassett moved their five children to the site of Nepenthe in 1947. They dreamed of an open-air pavillion with good food and dancing under the stars — a place where people could forget their cares. The structure was designed by the Fassetts and a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. Creative and free — what a life, what a place to be a child growing up!

We continued our drive that day and ended up at Point Lobos State Reserve. By late afternoon, and towards the end of the day’s 400 photos, I began to laugh at myself as I was now even photographing the rocks. I have always had sort of a thing for rocks, and just look! These rock formations were fascinating — ancient “quilt” patterns, repetitious, yet varied — totally original. These four photos were taken on the same beach within 30 feet of each other. 

                                                 It wasn’t until the next day as we were reading some more material about Nepenthe that I discovered one of Bill and Lolly Fassett’s children was Kaffe Fassett! You know — the Kaffe Fassett — the amazing, ultra-creative person who knits, quilts, needlepoints, designs patterns and fabrics, and writes books! He did the colorful mosaics on the restaurant’s tables. He was one of these lucky children who got to grow up surrounded by all this beauty and wonder! I pondered if, as a child, he’d glanced at the same rock formations I saw on Point Lobos and also found inspiration for knitting, quilting and mosaic patterns. I wasn’t so silly to be photographing rocks after all! Could my mind actually work anything like Kaffe Fassett’s?

Back here at home, I visited Kaffe’s Web site and appropriately there was a short video promoting his new quilt book Simple Shapes, Spectacular Quilts (STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book, 2010). The video tells how he travels and sees inspiring patterns wherever he goes. He said while traveling “living in non-familiar surroundings, you look more intensely — see things on a different level.” This sensitivity must be what happens when you grow up in “nepenthe,” and what happens when you get to take relaxing vacations.

I wish you all the same sense of peace! I’m so refreshed back here at work on the next American Quilt Retailer (it’s looking to be a good one!). Plan a vacation now, make it for more than one week. It really takes a while to totally clear your mind. And, if you should find yourself driving down Hwy. 1 in sunny California, think of me and my husband Jim, and Kaffe Fassett. Then bask in the glory and have “no sorrow.” 

Susan

Aside: Kent Couch, husband of my dear friend, are you reading this?