That thing I do

Do you ever do that thing when you promise to call someone to catch up, but something comes up or you forget and it doesn’t happen? And then you are too embarrassed to admit it, and you put it off more? And then it’s been so long that you think, I can put it off for one more day, week, month, whatever. And it gets harder and even more embarrassing. I hate that thing. It’s what I did with this blog for a few weeks.

But the thing about good friends is that they almost always understand, and when you finally do call and catch up, it’s always worth it. It’s almost always entirely in my head. So let me catch you up on everything that’s been going on around here. It’s not much in the way of sewing, but I’m working on a few long-term projects and teaching a lot, so I have plenty of quilty things to talk about.

First, I promised a story about San Francisco. To recap, I tagged along with my husband on a business trip to San Francisco that fell on my birthday. On the first day there we got to ride bikes over the Golden Gate bridge. The weather was gorgeous, and my infinity scarf was a perfect accessory in fashion and function.

On Thursday, though, still on East Coast time, with the husband at his conference, I decided to explore the Haight. Even though my body felt like it was afternoon, it was 10AM. And you know who’s in the Haight at 10AM on a Thursday? European retirees, stoned teenagers and me. It was not the best use of my short time, and I knew it. So I spent some time at Amoeba Records listening to music and flashing back to the late ’90s.

Then I rented another bike and rode through Golden Gate park. But you can’t ride a bike on many of the most scenic parts of the park, and I spent most of the ride on the traffic thruway. I felt like I had squandered a day in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

On my bus back to the hotel, where I planned to regroup and watch some trashy TV, I realized that I was late calling home to say goodnight to the kids. And so I got off the bus and FaceTimed on the closest street corner. It helped a lot to see my boys (and it made me laugh when Eli yelled, “Miles pooped in Chuck E. Cheese!”).

I hung up and looked around to get my bearings. And not half a block ahead of me was a giant sign, reading “Britex Fabrics.” I quickly Googled it, and their website told me, “A San Francisco landmark since 1952, Britex is a must-visit for designers, sewers, do-it-yourself-ers and anyone seeking creative inspiration.” It was downright serendipity.

And that’s how fabric therapy saved my day.

The quilting cotton section was small but diverse, and the gentleman who helped me was really helpful.

I bought some souvenirs too!

I can’t wait to find the right project for them. I have to get a start on Christmas gifts and a few baby quilts. Maybe then.

Anyway, it was a great trip overall. But when my mood got dicey, the quilt gods swooped in to save the day.

And then I didn’t sew much for a little while because I turned 33, my oldest turned five, my marriage turned eight, and we had all the requisite celebrations.

Now I’m working on another quilt for Cloud9. Though it’s not my design, it’s been so much fun to work on. The design part of my brain needed a little time to rest up and be open to inspiration again. And I’ve been loving my new Beginning Quilting students. This week we’re learning how to use our walking feet. It felt so good to get back to my machine. And it feels good to be back here. Thanks for waiting for me.