On vacation in Ireland

I am in Dublin enjoying the cool weather here with a little bit of sun each day. I have not been thinking about bags or quilting but I did stumble upon a fabric shop that had some nice prints but not quitling fabric. We will be a few more days in Dublin and then on to the west coast for a hiking trip. When I return it will be time to start on the September bag which I will make and donate to a neighbrhood fundraiser. Now, back to sightseeing!

August bag and more

I actually made the August bag in July because I knew I would be busy or traveling much of August. So here it is! it is a second farmers market bag. This time I used a colorful citrus fabric, made a big roomy bag, and did not quilt it, just lined it. The bottom is a bright print of green limes, the top and handles are a fabric of lemons. The inside lining is a darling little print of different vegetables. I only placed on item in this bag: a new cookbook called Minnesota Home Grown, a cookbook about local chefs and recipes. It has gorgeous photos and enticing recipes.

I gave this bag to Kathryn to take up to Camp du Nord to contribute to their silent auction. This bag was donated in memory of her son Danny who died at the age of 12 and who loved Camp du Nord. Kathryn and her husband Tom go every summer and help out in a variety of ways, such as teaching people how to use kayaks. I think she is there this week and hope someone like and bid on the bag.

I am heading to Ireland for a vacation with my husband so I won't be posting for a while. I will be on the lookout for bags and fabrics. Last year when we were there I met a weaver on Clare Island who gave me many of her beautiful handwoven fabric scraps. I made two tiny quilts from them.

Last week I was at a conference in Denver and my colleague Rob gave me a bag of fabric scraps from all sorts of vintage fabrics used by movie companies making period films. I think some of them will end up in a bag.

When I return from Ireland and get over jet lag I will start on a September bag to be donated to a fundraiser for my neighborhood fall festival. I am starting to think about that one already.

my daughter Rebecca

Last night I had the thrill of seeing my Virginia Woolf bag being bid on at a silent auction for In Other Words bookstore. I am in Portland, Oregon visiting my daughter Rebecca who manages this bookstore. It was really great to attend the annual "Lit Feast" fundraiser, meet so many of Rebecca's friends, and see her in action as she worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help the evening flow perfectly from activity to activity. I was overwhelmed by her many fans who told me how much they adore her and what a great mom I must be to have produced Rebecca. I felt like a celebrity as I was exclaimed over by yet another person when introduced as "this is Rebecca's mother"/. The Virgina Woolf bag that I made and donated to the silent auction, was created in honor of my daughter. I will share a little about this amazing young woman of whom I am so proud.

My little girl, now 25, has made this city her home for the past 3 years. She chose to move to Portland after college after a careful search of places where she thought she might want to live and where she would find like-minded people. On a hot July day in 2005 she drove to Portland with her dear friend Rachel who would join her on this new adventure. They camped in the basement of my cousin Suzy's house until they could find an apartment of their own.

On her first visit to Portland Rebecca discovered In Other Words, a nonprofit feminist bookstore. She immediately went in and asked about a job. She told me that this is where she wanted to work but they did not have any positions, and only needed volunteers. As a recent college grad with a women's studies major, she was attracted to this unique store and community center. She volunteered, then became the textbook manager, and then the co-manager, a job she carries out with expertise and dedication.

Rebecca is an extremely competent person. She has had many jobs during her life, beginning in high school when she worked at the bakery down the street. She has worked at garden stores, flower shops, and food coops. Wherever she works she impresses people with her strong work ethic, her intelligence, and her commitment to professionalism and solving problems.

She is also someone who goes after what she wants in life, and gets it. Just like the way she wanted to work at In Other Words, and at the age of 25 had worked her way up from volunteer to store manager.

When I looked at my daughter at the event last night, i felt incredibly proud of her. She is such a fiercely strong and principled Peron, who is also warm, loving, and good natured. Despite having the most gorgeous long, thick, dark wavy hair I have ever seen, she cut if off last year to experience life with short hair, just to see how she would feel and how the world would treat her without her one of a kind beautiful long tresses.

For many years she was a devout adherent to vegetarianism, and yet when it became advisable for her to add fish and meat back to her diet, she quietly made the transition, shocking all of us who were so used to her staunchly refusing to eat "anything with a face." She is a wonderful cook who appreciates good cookware and appliances and even when making minimum wage always bought the best, organic ingredients.

She is passionate about music, and has always been my songbird, who loves to sing, write songs, play her guitar, or listen to music. She loves the Portland music scene and has become good friends with her music idols, another sign that Rebecca is not afraid to go after her dreams and make them come true. She volunteers at the Rock and Roll camp for girls and is going to be an adult camper there to experience playing in a band.

I marvel at the adventures and accomplishments of my daughter, who has traveled the world with a backpack, turned down a proposal of love and commitment from her first love, resisted temptations in the material world, and succeeds in living in the moment without always worrying and planning the future (unlike her mother). She is like me and she is different than me. She now talks about hiking the Appalachian trail next spring and I know that if that is what she wants to do, she will do it.l

I am grateful that my little girl and I share a deep love and closeness and I know she is always there for me, even if we don't chat on the phone every day. She always remembers the things that are important to me like writing a personal message to me in a birthday card, giving me little gifts that she knows I will like because she knows me so well, giving me head rubs when I am tired and have a headache, or asking me questions about my life and how my spirits are. She is warm and friendly to my friends, amazing people at how well she can communicate and interact with the older generation.

I watch Rebecca with interest, as she makes her way in the world. When she is happy, I am happy, She is in a good relationship now that makes her happy and secure and I am happy for her and welcome her girlfriend with pleasure.My little girl never fails to amaze me, warm my heart, teach me, amuse me, and make be eternally grateful that she is my daughter.

Note: the photo above shows the bag at the auction. My cousin Suzy donated a beatufiul English bone china teacup and saucer, I filled it with English tea and biscuits, my neighbor Kris donated a handmade writing journal, Rebecca donated three books, and I added a card made from a photo I took of irises.