A side note first. Ezra and I were recently talking about an upcoming cast party he's attending, as I was sorting just precisely how to fit it into my taxi driving duties that night. "What time is your gathering on Friday?" I asked. To which he replied with the now-familiar laughter of a teenage boy at his Mom. "Mom, it's a PARTY, not a GATHERING. When you call it a gathering it sounds like a bunch of older ladies sitting around knitting or something like that." Ahem. I have no idea where he got that impression. But I would argue that a bunch of "older ladies" sitting around knitting IS indeed a party, and he has no idea what he's talking about. Semantics.
A few weeks ago, at our gathering, as I told you we all made wonky log cabin squares. It was a blast, and I can't tell you the joy I found in seeing how different each and every square became, despite the fact that most of the fabric came from one single person (my stash was transported to the woods). As I anticipated, I did a lot of demonstrating of the sewing, but not actually a lot of sewing. I used one square of batting and three pieces that were sewn down and stitch ripped out about two dozen times. The moment that everyone was out the door, I began tidying up our sewing space (eager to get on with the clean up and home to my babies the next day). Though, I have to tell you that if you're looking for guests that clean up after themselves even while on vacation, I'd suggest a group of crafty Mamas (they wouldn't listen to me when I told them to stop!). It was not so much of a mess at all, but rather what remained were remnants of what had been, or what had been made. Feeling a bit emotional from the loveliness of the weekend, I started to pick up strips on the ground and scattered about that had been part of everyone's work. Most of it mine, but a few pieces that others had brought in as well. I gathered some that reminded me of the squares I had seen in progress that weekend, and of the women I had gotten to know.
Later that night, after a great deal of cleaning, Sarah and I moved the sewing machines closer to the fireplace, opened a bottle of wine, and got sewing for the first time that weekend. And she, I am proud to say, completed what is her first piece of sewing - and such a pretty first piece it is (under her yummy smoothie above!).
I arrived home from our gathering without a completed project, but with a little bundle and an intention to finish it. I had a chance to do just that a few days ago. A simple quilt as you go log cabin square that reminds me so much of our time in the woods. Gathered from the scraps I found left behind, it was a pleasure to think about those people and our time together as I made this pillow. Somehow, I think, all those varied and different pieces came together into one for this single little pillow, just as all those different and uniquely beautiful women did for a weekend in the woods this February.
