Moms Quilting Bee

I went to a Quilting Bee Saturday afternoon.

These ladies were the actual quilters.

The rest of us 

were there to create squares 

Patrice and Alyssa's Peace and Love square.

for the Mother's Dream Quilt Project.

We were assured that no skill was necessary.

They assumed we could all use scissors.

The rotary cutters were a different matter entirely.

They are devilish tools with hidden safety locks and the ability to remove slices of a human finger with reckless abandon.  We saw the remains on a quilter's hand.  It would behoove us to take care.

There's a reason I crochet blankets for babies - they always fit, despite my mistakes.

Quilting requires a lot more precision.

The lucite measuring square must be exactly positioned, and JannyLou's kinfolk couldn't keep their hands still long enough for me to take a picture.

 There were cardboard templates to move around and help to center the square on the desired design element. The quilters were there to advise and suggest and to remind us that anything is possible.

So the doctor's wife and I got to work.

The first task was to convince the quilters that it was okay to cut up his white doctor coat.

We assembled the rest of our materials from the archived fabrics left around Tucson at the various impromptu memorials after January 8th. 

We separated stitching from pillowcases, and thought of Yvonne whose name tag we left, intact, for someone else to discover. 

We measured 

and played with fabric placement  

and filled out the paperwork (why is there always paperwork?) 

which included a statement about the person honored in the square.

Gabby sent material for her own square.

and I made one for Christina-Taylor and me.

It's purple and green and the flowers reminded me of Christina's Business, the plant watering service for which she and I made business cards and advertising flyers and it was just that kind of afternoon.

Doing good work.

Having a good time.

Missing those taken too soon.