Day 12: Today, I taught someone to quilt, originally uploaded by hambox.
“TODAY, I ___” project with Ã…sta. One picture a day for August, foto/photo group

Six years ago, I got so excited about Danny and Alison’s impending babe that I attempted to make my first baby quilt. I could only get so far before I appealed to my crafty friend Nancy, who, with great kindness and patience, taught me how to pin, quilt, edge and finish a blanket.

Two years ago, excited by my new sewing machine, I made a quilted blanket for my co-worker, Dinh. We didn’t know each other that well, but it was a good opportunity for me to practice, and I could make it as girly as I wanted, as Dinh was expecting a daughter. To my surprise, she and Sienna have used it and loved it so much that Dinh asked me to teach her how to make one herself. That’s what we did today.

I am not as precise a quilter nor as eloquent a teacher as Nancy is, but I did my best, thrilled that I get to pay this skill forward, to keep this craft alive in the most time-tested, folk art tradition — person to person.

It’s a beautiful quilt she made. I can’t wait till she gets her turn to teach!

More quilts in the craftbox.