My First Customer
In the middle of March 2020, I arrived at my in-law’s house with my three very young children for an extended stay. My husband was transitioning from the Navy to an internship four hours away from where we lived. We thought it would be easiest for me and the kids to stay with his parents while he started the internship and looked for a place for us to live. Exactly three days later the entire country shut down and we were all stuck. He couldn’t start his internship, he couldn’t work, and he also couldn’t leave our house which had already been packed up and everything put in storage. I couldn’t bring the kids back to an empty house, so what was meant to be a month-or-so-long stay turned into four months at my in-laws.
Now, I love my in-laws. Seriously. I hit the in-law jackpot. So this was not at all bad news for me. I missed my husband, but if you have to be stuck in the house, it’s nice to be stuck with a lot of extra child-care help. During the shutdown, everyone found themselves with spare time on their hands, but for me, this was even more true. So when my friend started a quilt-along group on Facebook, I thought, “Why not?” It didn’t matter that I had never made a quilt before or that I didn’t currently own a sewing machine. I was going to do this. And I did.
The first quilt top I ever pieced. Scrappy Granny Square quilt pattern by Quilty Love.
Now I tell you this somewhat long-winded story because a few months ago my quilty journey came full circle. My friend who started the quilt-along group became my first actual customer. Up to that point, I had only been working on my own quilts. It was really special to be working on her quilt, even though it came at a crazy time for me and my family. From October to January we had the flu, RSV, and a few other nasty viruses. That combined with the holidays, the birth of my niece, and wonky motors (due to my own faulty installation) made getting her quilt done my impossible task. I am so thankful for her patience with me, and in the end, her quilt turned out beautifully. Peep those jelly jars. I’m in love.
Quilt pattern by the quilt maker. Diamond Loops Pantograph by Longarm League.
