My Gift for Mary Fons

You cannot be in Easton, Maryland -- with a group of Maryland quilters -- and not admire their very own local celebrity quilt.  The "Baltimore Album".  Holy Cow.

I'll say it for the 1,000th time -- I AM NOT A QUILTER.  But I know enough to have a huge respect for anybody who would tackle this baby...

I never got the story behind this particular quilt (there IS ALWAYS a story) -- but it was amazing.

And I think maybe the woman in the red shawl was the quilt maker...and I hope she is sharing the story of the quilt with Mary.

I was too focused on having MY OWN MARY FONS experience to get other people's stories.

Here's the thing. Women in the sewing/quilting industry work really, really hard. I mean -- none of it is easy. Mary Fons is not unique in her work ethic...I've witnessed this for many years. Mary Mulari, Nancy Zieman, Eileen Roche, Angela Wolf, Ebony Love, Gail Yellen,  Rhonda Pierce....Women who are speakers in the sewing industry DO IT ALL. They make their own samples, do the designing, sewing, quilting...then, they write books, design patterns or create programs to support their classes or lectures. All that requires MASSIVE HOURS of work....but they don't get paid a nickel until they take their show on the road.

They plan and book their own travel. And, they most likely do their own marketing...they build their own websites and handle their own Facebook and social media. The work is never-ending, and you would not believe the many hours that are involved BEFORE you ever see them in a classroom or up on a stage.

AND, even with all that, they are the most thoughtful, kind, generous people in the world. Really. With everything Mary Fons had on her plate -- two years ago, she took an entire day off to spend it with me and Lilly in Chicago....and I gave her sheets....remember??

So -- I schlupped another set of pure white, 100% cotton, fabulous,line-dried-in-Iowa-sheets....ALL THE WAY TO MARYLAND...

I think Mary knew what was in the bag!!

The embroidered pillowcases had frolicking lambs...(get it?)

Really...it was a SPECTACULAR set of sheets.

And THIS was why I came all the way to Easton, Maryland.

THANK YOU,MARY FONS..!!

***********

P.S. The sheets really WERE Iowa-line-dried, and that scent is the best part of the gift.  But, in my suitcase, they were sitting on top of a bag of Porketta seasoning (for my friends in Pennsylvania). Hummm... I didn't think about it at the time, but the Nancy Harp Porketta seasoning looked a lot like Marijuana...and it smelled like black pepper...Or was that fennel?