The 2017 Safe Homes, Safe Kids Quilt Story – By Pat Surra
Cracked Pots designed by Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie’s Quilt Company
As I searched last year for an idea for the 2017 CASA raffle quilt, I came upon this pattern. It is called “Cracked Pots” which intrigued me. The quilt is made with log cabin blocks in the center and houses all around the “square,” just like in a village. So here is the story behind the name:
An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each of which hung on the ends of a pole she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.
After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.
“I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”
The old woman smiled and asked, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path but not on the other pot’s side? This is because I have always known about your flaw so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path and every day while we walk home, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”
Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it is the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You just need to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.
The Cracked Pots quilt is almost completed. I hope it is well received.
Pat Surra
*Please check out some of the photos of Pat’s progress. Tickets for this quilt will officially go on sale beginning May 20th!
