I said I wasn’t going to take on any more quilt commissions for a while and I meant it – at the time. So when I got an unexpected call asking me about the possibility of making a queen sized quilt from the friend of a friend, I hedged. I told her that I had some other projects already in line and that it would take me at least six months to finish. When that didn’t put her off, I quoted a fair-but-on-the-high-side price. She accepted.
I could have just said NO of course, but since I’ve already spent that money on my trip to Thailand, I guess I’m locked in.
That doesn’t mean that her project is going to jump the queue however. I have two things in mind that will come first. One is a baby quilt using some Noah’s Ark print fabric a friend gave to me a few months back. I’ve been itching to get to that one, but life has gotten in the way! The other is a full sized bed quilt for my son using a no-applique sea turtle pattern I bought a few years ago. Since the boy had “a new blanket” on his Christmas list draft, I simply have to get started on that one soon, though I have next to no hope of getting it done in the next month!
The new quilt commission was initiated by the wife, but is actually for the husband. It was interesting meeting with him about it because, like a car salesman who insists on talking to the man in the pair regardless of whether or not he’s paying, I kept directing my questions to the wife until she made it very clear that the husband was definitely the one in charge. He really did have some specific ideas and preferences. However, he also respects the artistic process enough to end our conversation by telling me to forget all that he’d said and make it the way I want to. Now that’s what I like to hear 
Due to my son’s illness, I was unable to personally attend the scheduled craft sale yesterday. Lucky for me a couple of my quilt friends volunteered to take my things to the sale and man the table for me. By all reports it was a slow day – many sick children and other competing events – and the only thing I sold was the last of my Christmas stockings to my friend! Oh well, a sale is a sale and at least by not attending I didn’t spend any money
