Attended the funeral of the mother of a dear friend of mine today. This is the friend who got me into quilting a few years ago. My friend's Mom lived in an apartment attached to her home, like a mother-in-law suite. After everything was over and we had a little time to talk my friend said, "who am I going to show my fabric to when I come home from shopping?" Really tugged at my heart. It reminded me of my Dad, and even though he's been gone for 10 years, there are times that memories are still very strong. My Dad was a great Cubs' fan, (I guess some things are passed on!) and everytime the Cubs would win (okay, no comments about how few times that could be) I would call my Dad. The first time the Cubs won after he died, my hand went to the phone, and I just paused. Such an empty feeling. I know how my friend will feel the first time she comes home with new fabric and can't go downstairs to show her Mom. Memories are precious. Hold them close.

well now

This is a new experience. This will certainly not be the most exciting or informative blog you've ever read, and I really don't intend it to be. I'm not one to share an enormous amount about myself, simply because I'm pretty private, and pretty introverted. But in order to be part of Quiltville's upcoming mystery quilt, I need to have a blog - so here goes.

I began quilting about 3 years after my girlfriend's instigation - and I'm really grateful she pushed me until I got going and took my first quilting class. I have loved working with beautiful fabric for many years, since I was a kid really, and this gives me the opportunity to do just that. It's so exciting to have such gorgeous fabric available and be able to use so much of it in one project. My stash is growing by leaps and bounds, which becomes challenging when you live in a small space. So, I'm hoping that by taking part in the mystery quilt, I can break down some of that stash and force myself to use it, instead of buying more new stuff.

I haven't made many large projects yet because of space constrictions, but am ready to tackle those now. Wish me luck!