How To Make A Present For An Obama Mama...

Months before her birthday you see it made up in a quilt shop. It draws you like a magnet, and you, who are leery of buying even one more pattern, when there are so many already at home, unhesitatingly fork over the cash and take your prize home.

"She's going to love it!" you gleefully gloat to yourself.

Weeks go by. The pattern sinks under the tide of fabric and papers and instructions and tools that seem to constantly ebb and flow across the sewing table. You flip the calender to November, and your memory to 1972, to another, long ago November, and it doesn't seem right, or fair, that the years raced by so fast, so sneakily, while time didn't seem to be moving much at all. But it always was. And always is. Marching along from day to day, from week to month to year to decade to lifetime, and the momentum builds and you want to push the pause button, or maybe even the rewind button, just to savour some of the moments....But it's too late. The universe has no patience with your nostalgia. It's got the present to be concerned about........

Speaking of present---did I just get side tracked? Panic sets in. Where is that pattern? I know I saw it here just the other day! Finally, it floats to the surface. Time to assemble the raw materials..........



She never used to like pink that much. But since her house is awash in testosterone, and she is outnumbered three to one, she's fighting back. She's wearing more pink. She's countering the storm troopers and Han Solo with some Princess Leia....

First you read the directions through to the end, so there won't be any unscheduled panic attacks.....

Then, scissors in hand, you commence to snip. And snip. And snip. In accordance with your instructions.

Referring frequently to the pattern, you fold and press and pin. Then, very carefully, you stitch.



Next, taking a deep, steadying breath, you plunge into unknown waters and apply the magic paper....



......and once again, stitch, with care.

At last the stitching is done. Almost finished, you think. But you have reckoned without the paper removal, still to come.




Then, once again, you snip, and snip, and carefully snip some more. A lot more. And finally it really is done.




On the day of the birthday! With the birthday girl a thousand miles away.


So, if you decide to follow these directions, make one small adjustment. Start the whole procedure two weeks before the birthday instead of one!


Happy birthday Lily dear! I hope the card, at least, arrived on time. This will follow shortly! Hope the "frowing up" and "eye-radia"-suffering storm troopers didn't dampen your day too much!