10. Potholders and Piano Covers

The QuiltEssential collaboration took place during years that were rich in many, many ways--pretty much in every way except actual dollars, in fact. Our children were growing into people I really liked. Even better, they were kind to their parents in ways that teenagers often are not. I had a part-time job that contributed something to my community as well as to my bank account, and a part-time business that contributed to my personal well-being and happiness. We even had a new member of the family in the form of a little puppy named "Jack." Lynne also had a new puppy named "Callie," and as we worked together on quilts, Jack and Callie raced around our feet, having a grand time and keeping smiles on our faces.

During this time, we put together a curriculum which took new quilters on a “sampler quilt” journey from beginning to end. Once we had taught it, we printed it up and sold it by mail order to other aspiring teachers. After meeting with each new client, Lynne and I put our heads and hands together to design and complete the commission: some quilts celebrated weddings, births, or anniversaries; others were made to match new wallpaper or a favorite piece of pottery. Working with an interior designer, we reproduced an old sampler in a new size. Grant proposals yielded money to create raffle quilts for community causes. Approaching quilt shop owners gave us a retail outlet for our one-of-a-kind scrapbook albums in which quilters could store pictures of their work. We made quilts that hung on walls, quilts the size of potholders, and even a cover for the grand piano at our town's public library. We were new enough to quilting and business that we had boundless enthusiasm and an endless supply of ideas (some of which we cast aside as silly or too much trouble only to see them appear as someone else's book years later). We had big dreams and lots of energy; the combination led to notable successes, memorable failures, and gradual realizations. And I think each of those categories deserves its very own blog entry. Stay tuned...