Found!
Friday 20 June: This afternoon a journalist from a t.v. station in St. John’s phoned to say that a young man had called the station to say he’d found my quilts. The journalist interviewed the fellow, and saw my quilts and they aired the story this evening. I’m told they are undamaged. They were found in 2 plastic garbage bags on a well used path – obviously dumped there today. I spoke with the finder who handed the quilts to the police and I am waiting to hear from the police
I’m thrilled and overwhelmed. The out-pouring of support and care from everyone has been so heartening.
So many were positive they would be found – and I knew that if magic could happen in any city, it would be St. John’s where there is a big heart and everyone cares. I heard from a quilter in St. John’s this evening who said even her postman asked everyday if the quilts had shown up yet. When the quilts were stolen a local t.v. station contacted me to say the whole town was pulling for me! I love St. John’s!
I’ve seen my work published in many forms over the years, but taping up “Reward” posters of my quilts was one of the most disheartening things I’ve done. I could only think of them as “Lost” – because that meant they
could be found. So it is!
Thank you everyone for your kind emails and calls. I may not be able to respond to them all but, please know that I’m very grateful for your positive thoughts and care.
Love Val
Val…I’m so glad your quilts were found. I never doubted the good souls of St. John’s!
Enjoy your reunion.
Ann F.
WOOOOHOOO!!!!!! All across North America and around the world that drumming sound you hear is bazillions of quilters doing the happy dance for you! HOW WONDERFUL!
Oh Valerie, I can’t imagine the relief, and am so glad that St. John’s, the CBC (where I first saw a news feed) and the quilters’ grapevine did such a phenomenal job at getting the word out! I’m sure that had something to do with the quilts being FOUND!!!!!
WOOOHOOO! What a wonderful way to start the summer (kids last day was yesterday)… Phew! Good to have a good ending,
Cheers and quilterly hugs, Sarah
Val,
Praise the power of QUILTERS….
I am so happy to hear you have found your babies and will soon have them back in your possession!
Congratulations again!
Jacquie in Oklahoma, USA
That’s wonderful, Val, I’m SO glad to hear this good news. The poster and the publicity did their job and reduced the possibility that the thief could benefit from them. There are lessons in this for artists – and for musicians who regularly get instruments stolen. Someone probably HAS written a book about it, and if not, you could have a chapter. I’m so glad that chapter is over for you – and that you still love St. John’s!
Congratulations!!!
Hi Val,
I am traveling , and just catching up with this story! I am thrilled for you! My lost quilts and wearables seem to be on a longer journey – since August 2001 in Los Angeles. I was interviewed for the LA Times on Sept 9, and expected the story to be out within a week or so. Of course, Sept 11 eclipsed all other news, so the story never ran. I also lost 600 slides of my work, some were the only record of past artwork. (Mine were also taken from the locked trunk – I was in LA showing my work to galleries, and had just gotten a good connection to one of them about showcasing my work.) However, I am in VERY good company – I am on the Los Angeles Police Dept website of stolen art with folks like Rembrandt and Peter Max, LOL! And, like you, I believe that these pieces of art that are infused with my soul are simply on their own “gypsy journey”, as I have been, and that we will meet again down the path. That will probably be a fascinating story! Meanwhile, I have done some of the deepest soul work of my life. And I discovered that my pain of losing the piece that I considered the best piece of art I had created in my career (the Egyptian ensemble), was surprisingly healed when I created a piece that I consider to be even better! (Jewels of India: http://web.mac.com/merylannb/iWeb/Jewels/Jewels.html ) My wayward art can be seen on at the Lost Quilt Come Home site: http://www.lostquilt.com/MerylAnnButler.html . If anyone on this list sees any of them, please call the LAPD. I have a very wise teacher that says that all stories have happy endings – and if the “ending” isn’t happy, then the story isn’t over yet! 😉
Hi Val
Congratulations that is the very best of news -I am so elated that the quilts etc have been found and that as you say the good people of St. Johns and all over the world were praying for their safe return- Miracle in all sizes do happen
Congratulations again Val
love n hugs Bear (in Aust.)
WONDERFUL!
That is incredibly great news! What a relief!
Lost and Found. Wonder what the reason is, but if those quilts could talk, what a story they would tell. I’m so happy for their safe return.
Stay inspired!
Michelle
Maple Leaf Quilt Guild
Wow! What a relief! I couldn’t be happier for you! I had my car broken into while on a teaching trip, so I know the feeling, but the idiots took my $300 GPS rather than the thousand or so dollars worth o’beads in the backseat! I would have been beside myself had they taken my beads — to hell with the GPS! That was replaced in 3 hours.
Yours is a good lesson to all of us who carry our quilts in our cars. I’m glad yours was a happy ending!
Mark Lipinski http://www.marklipinski.com
Thank God…WHEW!!!
Valerie, I’m so glad to hear your quilts were recovered. What a horrendous week it has been for you — and facing the prospect of remaking (or limping by) for future gigs.
Hooray, and hopefully this is the WORST 2008 will bring!
Best always to you. It will be wonderful to see what your work looks like in coming years…
Congratulations Val! As a fellow quilter and CQA conference-goer, I was shocked and dismayed along with everyone else when I learned about the theft. It was my first visit to St. John’s (and Newfoundland) and I concur with you that such an incident is out of character! I am so pleased that there was a happy ending! Your body of work is incredible, and it would have been a terrible loss. Best of luck moving forward…
Hi Valerie.
I remember seeing that news report after the quilt conference here in St. John’s. I had many of my own quilting students ask if they were ever found and I was happy to say they were found and safely back with the owner.
We met several years ago at Classic Cafe over a coffee. I was interested in how to start a business of my own and designing. Thank you for that chat. I am slowly getting to where I want to be.
Quiltingly Yours
Andrea, here in St. John’s
P.S. I use to live in Bridgewater, NS. Mahone Bay and Lunenburg were two of my favourite places to visit while living along the South Shore.