When Megan stayed with us during the 2018 MEA fall break, her and I went to the Old Alley Quilt Shop. It was the first time things had worked out that she was visiting us and that the shop was open. Talk about wide eyes.
I spent my time visiting with Laurie, one of the design specialists and Megan wandered. She was on the lookout for a project to start in my sewing studio while she was visiting. I put no restraints on her. Megan touched and felt umpteen fabrics. What intrigued her were the numerous sample projects that the staff had sewn and had them hanging throughout the shop. As she circled the shop, she kept coming back to one spot. As it turned out, in their home was a print that hung in the hallway of their home. This sample project reminded her of it. Under that print was usually a bench or a chair. I believe she could envision this quilted project on the bench or the chair when it was completed.
Laurie helped her find the pre-cut kit. Within the kit were numerous fabrics to complete the design as well as the printed out instructions. The main printed fabric was of the red truck. Megan would need to cut the fabrics into the needed pieces that would be sewn around the show-pieced center. Megan found a second kit. With everything needed, we set off for the sewing studio in St. James.
Looking back, that was in October of 2018. All went well and by the time the long weekend was over, the top of the quilt had been accomplished. We had not given a thought to what the back of the quilt or the binding would look like. Sometime over the next several weeks, I went back to the Old Alley Quilt Shop after I knew Megan would be home from school and the day that I would call. We wanted to have a plan in place. With me in the shop, I sought out several fabrics and took photos of them and then sent them to her. I wanted her to make the choice of which one she preferred. That worked out just as if Megan was in the shop with me.
Fast forward. Megan’s skating schedule had increased as she worked with a coach. Weekends became very precious to her schedule. In December of 2019 Megan turned 16 and that set in motion the number of hours of behind the wheel training that she had been working on to try for her driver’s license. That blew my mind . . . for sure. Where had those years gone!
Megan had her license and soon there was an opportunity for her to apply for a job that would entail after school and into the summer of 2020. Megan began working at the Mustard Seed Nursery near their home as it was included in businesses that were allowed to open early during the phase two of the virus shutdowns. Megan . . . pulling on work boots, having sun screen in tow and a face mask entered the world of W-2s. Megan loves working at the nursery. All aspects include watering, potting, learning the cash register, rolling sod and anything else that each day presents itself with.
I carefully asked her if she would mind if I finished her quilt, assuring her that there would be many quilt samples to choose from at times in the future. I got the o.k.
I hadn’t been in the sewing studio since the early May days. I have found it to be quite relaxing and just plain fun. Working on something that Megan had thrown herself into means the world to me. The fabric that she chose for the backing is perfect. She had the eye for what would work with her red pickup quilt.
Megan had been sewing with me for quite a few years and knew her way around the sewing machine independently. Now when I visit with her and she is telling me about the dos and don’ts of plants . . . I hear a sixteen year old that will have a good awareness of what the world will have to offer her as she is gaining experiences.
Good grief! That girl has taught Dennis and me a whole lot and we sure do miss her as we have grown up with her teaching us a bunch.
