Mrs. Wright Learns to Quilt
It was right before Christmas and Mrs. Wright listened to two ladies at the library discussing how much fun they were having with their quilting projects.
“I only have one little quilt left to bind for my granddaughter,” said one. "That speaker at the guild was right. It’s so beautiful and I just used left-over scraps to make it ."
“Yes,” Mrs. Wright heard the lady on the right say. “This year I have no shopping left to do. I think I’ve made just the right quilted projects for everyone on my list.
“I even have a few extra hand-quilted pincushions and tree ornaments made, in case I accidentally left someone off my list.”
“No more shopping?” Mrs. Wright thought. “Why I’ll have shopping left to do right up to Christmas Eve. “
After all, Suzy Wright wanted a new comforter for her bed and Billy Wright was asking for something to decorate his dorm wall . Even her husband, John Wright, had hinted that if she had any money left, he would appreciate something to snuggle under while he watched the Super Bowl.
Mrs. Wright knew she would be left shopping when the mall closed.
Well, Christmas that year came and left and the Wright family enjoyed it as much as ever.
But soon after, Mrs. Wright saw those two ladies at the park right around the corner from the Wright home. They were talking and stitching.
Mrs. Wright left her sunny spot across the park and unabashedly walked right up to them to see what they were making.
“Come right over,” one of the ladies said, patting the left ege of the bench. “There’s enough room left for you.” Mrs. Wright introduced herself and asked about what they were making.
The lady on the right of Mrs. Wright said her name was Cindy and she was working on a table runner. Right before her eyes, Mrs. Wright saw that the most beautiful applique flowers coming alive. Her eyes almost left her head at the intricate details on the poinsettia on the left..
Then the other lady introduced herself as Catherine and hurried to show Mrs. Wright her project.
“Ooh,” said Mrs. Wright. admiring the tiny stitches on what she learned was a wall hanging. “Look, I see a pumpkin in the center and over to the right, I see a black crow with a twinkle in its left eye.” You better believe Mrs. Wright was impressed.
Still she felt left out. Since right after her first child, Suzie Wright, entered grade school Mrs. Wright had left her sewing machine unused except for a few mending jobs.
That night, Mrs. Wright and her husband were watching television and just after Vanna left the stage for a commercial, Mrs. Wright described the beautiful work she had seen at the park. Mrs. Wright admitted she was just a bit jealous about how much fun Cindy and Catherine were having.
She said she had left the park thinking that it was time to learn to enjoy the time she had left and maybe she should look for something creative and fun to do.
Mr. Wright said he thought she was too young to worry about the “time left.” But still he beamed at her. “You’re right,” he said. “Now that Suzy and Tommy have left home, you seem to have a lot of time left on your hands.
“Right after breakfast tomorrow, why don’t you call the quilt guild number I saw in the newspaper you left on the kitchen table. Check into their meetings and see if it seems right for you.” Mr. Wright believed that the right time to do something was when you thought of it!
Mrs. Wright immediately left the sofa and the television, though there was only one vowel left on the board and she was sure she knew the right answer.”
She found the newspaper right where she had left it, and at the top of the left column on page three she found the right article. Early the next morning she called and found out that the meeting was the next Wednesday .
She left Mr. Wright at home that night, went to the meeting and heard the speaker’s inspirational talk. Right then and there, a quilter was born.
Within a few weeks, Mrs. Wright had visited three local quilt stores, found several classes that were just right for a beginner and spent what spare money she had left on the beginnings of a beautiful fabric stash, with all the right rulers.
Mrs. Wright checked with the guild and found just the right bee to join.
You could say that Mrs. Wright was hooked! She loved finding just the right patterns. She had so many new quilting buddies that she had little time left to feel bored. She noticed Mr. Wright was golfing a little more often, but that left her feeling good, too.
This year, with only a few days left before Christmas, Mrs. Wright is staying at home instead of shopping the mall. Mrs. Wright, you see, made most of the gifts on her list herself!
We won’t talk about the grumbling Mr. Wright will do right after he checks the credit card bills. Nor will we discuss those quips about the quilt stores that are getting a good portion of the Wright family’s money nowadays. Mr. Wright knows that golfing is not cheap either.
We won’t even mention the jokes Mr. Wright cracks about the number of leftovers on the table.
After all, Mr. Wright is the perfect husband for a quilter.
He loves Mrs. Wright’s beautiful projects and generally, he’s found that if she is left with a little time for her sewing he can sneak in a golf game,
Mrs. Wright just smiles as she tells him that with Christmas right around the corner she has only a few projects left to finish and she’s sure she got him something that will fit! (It’s a patriotic hanging that will look just right on his office wall.)
Suzie Wright and Johnny Wright will each get a special quilt. Plus that quilted bag Mrs. Wright made for her mother-in-law, Fannie Wright, is just the right size, too.
These days, Mrs. Wright doesn’t feel left out of the fun and she knows this Christmas will be the happiest ever at the Wright family home.