PILLOW TALK

About ten years ago I decided to learn how to quilt, erroneously thinking that a so-called relaxing hobby might soothe my wacky inner ear problem that periodicially re-enacts World War II in my head. I joined a nice little church group in Wichita that was starting off with pillow tops. Surely I could do that.

It was agony! Something as minor as threading a needle made the ear go nuts. Trying to keep the stitches even was a challenge. In short--quilting was a bitch. But I kept at my little pillow project because it was to be a gift for my great nephew Luke on his second birthday. Squares of kid material--Santa Claus, a cow, stars and a moon, a kitty cat, etc.--that would serve as a teaching tool. A nifty idea.

I don't how the heck I got the pillow top finished--every stitch evenly done by hand until Mama Bore dragged out her sewing machine to get the backing on before I stuffed it. But the gift got completed and it's kept on giving and giving and giving the past decade because Big Sis decided to keep it at her house for her subsequent grandchildren.

After Luke outgrew finding objects on the pillow, along came Maddie. Three years later, Boomer. Another three years, William. This past weekend the two little boys once again dragged out the pillow so they could perch on grandpa's lap and play the "Find the...." game. It's become a family favorite. "Find the candy canes." "Find the happy faces." What fun.

I wish I'd fallen in love with quilting and quilting had fallen in love with my goofy ear and I had made more pillows like this one. And I hope that Luke, and Maddie, and Boomer, and William will some day pass it along to their own children....and not forget who made it.