stillclock

thanks for your thoughts. i feel a lot better today about all of this.

i am sorry ghostrider that you wish you had not suggested this path to me. given the number of images and related search hits i have had for these quilts in particular based on my search parameters, i would have discovered this wonderful author and teacher that very evening. and in talking to the owner of the little funky quilt shop here in town i feel much better about my level of support for her business. since i found her i have bought some fabric, a number of notions and even the ribbon for my daughter's hallowe'en costume from her. the chances are very good that the bulk of the fabric for my brother's quilt will come from her shop. while fabric.com looks cheaper, between shipping, duty and taxes it isn't. shopping locally saves me the worry of colour matching issues and tactile matches.

i am an avid supporter of local shopping and i understand the value of creative work. i also understand that i live in an economic system driven by guilt, fear and scarcity. there's nothing wrong with not having or making do with what you do have. had i not gone to the quilt shop to see (and with the expressed intention of buying!) the book, i could easily have borrowed it from the library.

not making this quilt because i didn't buy the book doesn't make an iota of sense. not one. acknowledging that these monetarily lean years have afforded a tremendous amount of time to watch my girl grow and to be there for her, to learn to quilt ever more challenging quilts and have the time, energy and modest means to practice this art. i possess the good sense to know that sending a photo to cherri house, sharing her work in a few forums, giving her due credit and making something to be proud of means giving more back to her than the small royalties of the sale of one book.

cherri house's bio is on her website. something tells me she would understand intimately where i'm calling from.

thanks again for all your help and good thoughts. and my sincere apologies to you ghostrider for the negative experience or affect sharing your ideas seems to have caused.

aileen