Millions of Peaches

Dear parents and friends:

My job is completed. And on the eve of the Red Ball, I can't help but begin to get nervous.

So I have a humble request: if you haven't yet read the blog, please do so from beginning to end. There are 31 posts that tell the story of what your child accomplished. It says so much about the spirit of our quilt.

Also, if I can be so brazen as to ask for one small, teeny-tiny favor (it's not that much of an effort, really):  if you attend the auction, please bid on the quilt.

Even if you don't want it, please bid--at the beginning, of course. After all, don't we all love to feel our pulse quicken at the thought of a gamble gone awry?

And if you do want Peaches, please bid again and again. I'll run the numbers for you:

It cost $94.42 to make Peaches, however, when the in-kind donations are included, Peaches' value goes way up. The quilt is actually worth $2,389.32. That's a nice tax write-off.

And if you're wondering how a quilt might fit into your home, the photos below might help.

Peaches on a chair:

Peaches on a basket:

Peaches on a couch:

Peaches on a king:

(will work on a queen-sized bed, too)

Peaches on a twin:

(folded in half, of course)

And finally...

Peaches with our kids.

We did it!

10:08

When I was in college working at a local television station, I showed one of the creative types a blouse I had made. He was a New Yorker who had a late-night music show on the station, and when he saw my blouse, he pulled me aside and said, "Don't tell anyone, but I sew."

His grandmother was an "Italian babe" who taught him how to work the machine. In high school, he made and sold vests that became popular among his classmates, and he was able to buy his first guitar. Later, when he was engaged to his "red-headed babe," he spent much of his time hunched over the sewing machine--thick muscles and long, curly hair in a ponytail--buried in yards and yards of peach taffeta. He pulled out his wedding photo and pointed to the six bridesmaids in peach gowns. "I made 'em all," he said.

Recently, I was at the sewing center having my vintage machine looked over by the repairman. He wore a stained rock shirt, and his belly hung over his Levis, and when he bent over, I could see the faded outline of his chew container in his back pocket. When I told him about the quilt, he pulled out a piece of fabric and began to stipple on my machine. He held it up for me to see and said, "I'm not that great at the free-motion thing." He sounded embarrassed. He also refused payment for his time, and went into the back room to retrieve his sewing kit. "This is my personal stash," he said throwing several packs of machine needles on the table. "You're gonna need them."

Do what you love. Like a secret club, we end up sniffing each other out. My hope is that this quilt exposed your children to a new and interesting skill. While we reminisce about our quilting grandmothers, it would be nice to someday to have our great grandchildren talk about the quilts made by their grandfathers. As for me, I've been bitten hard. I've already put down the date of the NW Quilter's 39th Annual Quilt Show on my calendar, and I'm going to attend the next Portland Modern Quilt Guild meeting.

And so, at 10:08 on the day after Valentine's Day, my thumb pushed the needle through the final hand-stitch in the quilt. The work was over.

To celebrate, I reached into the pantry and cracked open a jar of last summer's peaches. I took a long swig of the juice and surveyed the quilt. Even though it's a modern take on a very old style (the crazy quilt), to me, it still looks vintage. It's 50's Americana with a touch of Rockabilly. It's about teenagers wearing capris and rolled denim cuffs. Seersucker shirts and the summer sun. And even though this carefree joy and innocence is only imagined through old photographs and filmy videos, what's very real is our children's energy and love poured into every fiber.

As I bit into my fruit, I had a thought that can hopefully be forgiven. It's small gesture that means so much, and although I wanted to get the kids involved, I was tapped-out. It symbolizes the sun on our faces, the sweetness of memories and lasting innocence.

It's a name.

Introducing...   Peaches.