I am a recovering anthrophobiac.
People scare me.
So....when things happen in my life which cement the truth that there is blessing in community, I like to take careful note and help myself along the road to emotional health.
See this quilt block?
It's a stepping stone along that road.
It's not very pretty.
And it has a lot of not-very-pretty friends.
They were all pieced from scraps (circa 1950), and were dear to me for one reason only.
Prince Charming's grandmother left behind four or five quilts-worth of blocks, and when his aunts discovered that I was a quilter (I cannnot be responsible for their faulty assessment of my skill set), Grandma's quilt blocks were given into my keeping.
Her hand stitches are incredibly precise and she obviously used every scrap of fabric she had.
I was impressed and amazed by the caliber and amount of work she did, but I did not like a single one of the blocks.
Until.
Until I exposed them to the quilting 'community'.
First, a small group of quilting friends suggested putting them together on the design wall and stepping back to get a new perspective.
Even the ugly quilt blocks looked better in community.
Suddenly, they were worth stiching into a quilt top.
Next, thanks to Weekly Sewing Day, the top came out of the UFO (unfinished objects) Box and went to the quilt store for help with a border.
The community of quilters there admired Grandma's work in a way that trebled my appreciation and esteem.
Then they found the perfect border fabric, gave me advice on how to make sure the back of the quilt included its provenance (so it would also be valued by those coming after us), and gave me some fabulous suggestions on how to hand-quilt it.
Being part of a community gave me this...
...in exchange for a pile of ugly quilt blocks.
I will be thinking about that while I am hand quilting this striking hand-me-down heirloom this winter.
And I will think of it again each time I pull it out for the grandshoots to snuggle under during sleepovers at Pretty and Poppa's house.
Thank you, God, for community.
And quilts.
And grandmas.
And grandchildren.
And...and...and...