Peace Quilt for Japan

Quilters are often blessed with creative and sometimes perhaps divine inspiration. The St. Mary Magdalen Scripture and Stitches Quilting Group of Brighton, Michigan created this Peace Quilt to raise money for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan recently. According to Japanese folk lore, a wish will come true if you fold 1000 origami cranes. Following the bombing of Hiroshima, young Sadako Sasaki attempted to overcome leukemia from radiation by making origami cranes. She made 644 before her death at 12 years of age. At the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima there is a statue of Sadako holding a crane. At the base it reads: “This is our cry, this is our prayer, peace in the world.”

Inspired by this story, Margaret Rolfe designed the pattern for this quilt (from Martingale Publishers, copyright 2007). It touched the hearts of the quilters of St. Mary Magdalen Church and inspired them to do something to help ease the suffering. We are an inter-connected world community. There are reports of radiation from the reactors near Sendai reaching parts of the United States. Let’s radiate back some love and hope that will reach the islands of Japan.