This is my second post - you can find the first here - introducing my new Petit FOUR sampler patterns, the Northern Lights blocks, which are sailing into the shop next week.
For the past year Andrea from the Willow Cottage Quilt Company and I have been posting out deliciously curated parcels to our fearless block of the month explorers and taking them on a magical journey to the edge of the world, where stormy seas meet starry skies...
In this post we'll be exploring the life of the resilient fishing community of Norway's Lofoten Islands, which was a major inspiration for this quilt, and meeting a little fellow they might find bobbing about on the open sea during cod-fishing season.
Rorbu
In days of yore, Norwegian fishermen took to their boats in the harsh winter months and travelled beyond the Arctic circle to the Lofoten Islands to fish for cod. After exhausting hours on the icy seas they pulled their rowing boats ashore and turned them over to sleep under.
But C12th sagas recount how King Øystein Magnusson ordered cabins - the Rorbuer - to be built for the thousands of men who flocked to Lofoten every fishing season, raising them above the roiling tides on timber stilts. And like most utilitarian buildings in Norway they were protected with coats of distinctive red fish oil paint.
Now they are more likely to be used by Lofoten's tourists, while the fishermen keep to their modern, well-equipped and comfortable boats.
A PDF Pattern for the Rorbu block is available here
Skrei
The annual Lofotfisket (Lofoten fishing season), held between January and April, dates back to the Viking Age. Legend has it that the Vikings followed the cod shoals across the Atlantic to North America half a millennia before Columbus.
Literally translated, the Viking name Skrei means 'wanderer', recalling the 1,000-mile journey the cod make every year from the icy Barents Sea, high above the Arctic Circle, to the (slightly) warmer waters off the Lofoten coast to spawn. Their arduous journey gives the skrei a delicate flavour and pearly white flesh which is sought after by the world's finest chefs. And, as our Venetian merchant Pietro Querini learned, cod can also be preserved in Lofoten's icy, salt-laden winds by hanging the fillets to dry on the distinctive A-frames that dot the coast.
Skrei are typically larger than coastal cod but probably not as big as a fishing boat - forgive me my artistic licence - but in the 19th century, before over-fishing decimated stocks, fully mature cod caught on the Grand Banks off the coast of Newfoundland could be six-feet long.
A PDF Pattern for the Skrei block is available here
Puffin
Despite their long winters alone, Puffins are social birds and return to teeming nesting grounds in April each year, reuniting with their mate and building their nests in deep burrows where they raise a single chick together - rather adorably called a Puffling - before departing at the end of August for another winter at sea. Although scientists aren't entirely sure whether Puffins are loyal to their mate or their chosen nesting site (a little like choosing a wife by finding her already ensconced in your favourite house).
The Puffin's short wings and large feet make them wonderful swimmers: they can dive down up to 200 feet in search of their favourite sand eels. Smart black and white plumage provides perfect camouflage out at sea - both from above and below the water - and their spectacular bill has a unique ridged edge which allows them to carry a bountiful catch back to their nests.
A PDF Pattern for the Puffin block is available here
I enjoyed piecing that little Puffin so much that I really needed an excuse to make another one, so I designed a quick, one-block companion project to Northern Lights, the Koselig Cushion. The setting was inspired by the colourful woollen bands woven by the Sámi peoples of the Arctic Circle. They're the perfect combination to help you snuggle into your armchair and plan your next adventure...
A PDF Pattern for the Koselig Cushion is available here and a discounted bundle for both the Puffin PDF Pattern & Koselig Cushion here
You can find all of the Northern Lights blocks collected together, along with their marvellous Maelstrom setting, in the PDF Pattern Book here. If you'd prefer a printed Pattern Book, they'll be heading to the shop - and Amazon - next week!
In my next Northern Lights post we'll be out on the ice, looking for a trio of enchanting Arctic animals, so bring your binoculars!
Nicola xx
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