Lessons Learned from a Quilt

I am a lousy blogger!  But I'm going to turn over a new leaf and take a lesson from my friend Laura, who faithfully blogs once a month.  I can handle once a month! 

In her February blog, Laura posted pictures of quilt blocks I pieced.  She called them Love on the Square.  They were my first Stack and Whack project, and they hooked me on that method.  Those blocks are now a completed quilt, which was given to my darling daughter-in-law Talara, for her birthday.

The quilt was the third one I quilted on the quilting machine that took up residence at my house a few months ago.  It was also very challenging and frustrating and sent me to the chiropractor twice!  Well, the quilt didn't do those things, my being overly ambitious about the quilting of the quilt did those things.  I was so grateful when the thing was completed, and certain it was a disaster that I would be embarrassed to give away.

The amazing thing  about these photos is that they were taken about 12 feet above the quilt. I'm not the photographer Laura is, but my zoom is great and I'm astonished at how the quilting detail stands out.

But, here's the lesson.  I pulled the quilt off the machine, laid it out, and was amazed!  It was lovely!  All the little missed design points, funny looking hearts, and weird spirals melted into a beautiful whole.  A metaphor for life.

Dreams Do Come True

For the past three years I've wanted a quilting machine of my very own. I've priced them, studied them, and dreamed about using one on my own quilts. I put one on my Christmas list and handed the list to my darling husband, the man who isn't the mayor, but should be.
"How much is one of these?" He asked.
"$7,000," I managed to say with a straight face.
"Why do you want one that is so expensive?"
"It's the best. Why do you fish with a $45,000 Triton bass boat?"
Conversation ended.

Well, the economy intervened and it's not like there aren't plenty of ways for me to spend my time while I wait.

Fast forward three years. A month ago I received an email from my wonderful sister-in-law Jesse titled: Quilting Machine. This is what I read . . . and noted.

Hi Jeri:

Bonnie gave me her quilting machine and stuff. I just don't think that I will ever use it. I am not a quilter. I thought I might be interested, but I just do not find a quilting bug in me. Too much cutting, and stitiching small items. Would you be interested in it? If you are not a quilter either, I do have a cousin in Elko who would like it. Bonnie almost gave it to her instead of me, so I know it would be all right with her if I gave it to her.

You are very clever with your knitting, much better than I am, so when I saw you with your knitting last night, I wondered if you would use this stuff. It has two large tables, a machine, frames and a video on how to use it, plus some fabric Bonnie left.

I told Bonnie that she could have it when she comes back, but I don't think she will take it back.

Let me know if you want it and we will bring it over. Otherwise, if you just want to look at it before, come by sometime and I will show you it to you before you decide. You really need a room dedicated to quilting.

Love, Jesse


With all apologies to the cousin in Elko, she will never see the quilting machine. After responding instantly to Jesse that YES, I wanted the machine, I suggested that she should call Don and tell him so he could give it to me for Christmas. She did call him, and smart man that he is, he claimed the machine for me, and called me a few days later to tell me that I had a quilting machine in a pile of parts in the basement.

When I got home that night, the parts were assembled into a real quilting machine in as few minutes as possible, only to find that a major part was missing: one of the two carriages the machine sat on, making the whole thing useless. AGHHHHH! So close and yet so far away.

After two calls to HandiQuilter where I finally talked to the right person who assured me that yes, they did replace missing parts, resulted in the carriage sitting in my sewing room five days later. And, now I have a quilting machine. Imagine the possiblities! I can't wait to start quilting.

And why haven't I quilted yet? I have two trials this month, and if I set up the quilting machine, I will never be ready to argue in court. But just check back after the 24th and see how dreams really do come true.