Being Part of Something BIG

Dear Lola,

I’m so excited.  I decided to take a job in a fabric store!  I am thrilled I was hired at Wish Upon A Quilt.  It’s a great little fabric store with a big, big heart.  I started shopping there a little over 4 years ago and met the owner, Cathy McKillip during her first week as the shop owner.  The minute I met Cathy, I knew she was a kindred spirit.  She runs her shop as an extension of herself – happy, bright and cheerful.  She welcomes everyone with a smile and amazing guest service.  She cares about her customers and it shows. 

I recently attended a Mystery Quilt Retreat she hosted in Winston-Salem.  We had a conversation and one thing lead to another and kismet intervened and here I am working in a perfectly heavenly place for a fabric lover to be!  I know, of course, that absolutely nothing of my paycheck will ever leave the store, but hey at least I’m buying local!

I started working at a perfectly wonderful time on the Sewing Calendar in my community.  The Quilt Carolina Event was poised to begin and I jumped right in and remerchandised the Notions Wall.  My coworkers said I did a great job and it was music to my ears! The newly organized wall was a big hit with customers too.  I hope to keep learning and contributing to this dynamic little shop.

During the event, we awarded prizes and had lots of happy customers to help. It was a wonderful week of fun and excitement. All in all it was a great reminder of just how big the sewing and quilting community is and just how much I love all the people connected to it through their love of fabric.

This past week, I was filling orders for our online customers.  I had the pleasure of cutting fabrics for customers in Hawaii, Australia and even South Africa.  I loved seeing what people purchase and how they cleverly choose great color combinations and find fabrics they have been searching for on the web.  We get to call and/or write to people to let them know how much we have on hand of the fabrics they need and it’s great to hear the little happy dances they do when we have what they need.  One lady was so happy she would finally be able to finish a quilt for her first grandchild; another lady had been looking for this one fabric for 6 months to repair a family quilt; while another customer was just desperate for some bright green “Maxine” fabric that said “Blah, Blah”. 

While filling a particularly large order that was going to the other side of the globe, I got all excited about having a hand in something big - not a big order - something BIG.  While I don’t know how the fabrics will be used, I know as a sewing enthusiast – they are likely to be turned into projects filled with love and hope.  I know the fabrics will be manipulated into works of artistry; they will keep people warm at night; they will delight some special person; they will adorn someone's home; and they will fill people’s hearts with joy and laughter (“Blah, Blah!”).  It all made me proud to be in the circle that is sewing and to have an anonymous hand in making someone’s day! 

Lola, it’s so easy to look at life through the blinders of our own small needs.  I’m glad I joined Wish Upon A Quilt so I can be reminded that the entire world needs fabric just as much as I do.  It’s a wonderful thing to be part of something BIG and to make somebody's sewing wishes come true!

Hugs and stitches,