We have remnants, we need to know the STORIES!

Overall, I had a pretty happy day. I know, you’re about to tell me, “But yesterday was International Happiness Day.” True, I missed the boat not blogging about happiness yesterday. But I thought about it. And International Happiness Day is growing into something bigger. I have plenty going on now to make me happy.

I finally got the Ruby back from the repair shop. It has been in limbo there since early November. Funny, when I look at the Husqvarna Viking website, I do not even see Ruby, now they have a Ruby Deluxe. Perhaps the Ruby model is no longer produced, historically kind of like the Edsel? I didn’t sew on Ruby right away, because I’d been in a car accident and then hurt my head and got my neck and back jacked up. But today I plugged in the Ruby and made another rag quilt while watching the opening day of Rootstech. Ruby was all better, smooth and beautiful like I remembered! sigh! Rootstech is a 3-day genealogy workshop that is in its 3rd year of production. And it is BIG! An estimated ten thousand people listened to the streaming videos today, besides the throng of over 5,000 that attended in person at Salt Lake City.

Several points impressed me from the conference talks. One was that stories were stressed. Not just names and dates. Over and over I heard, we need to know the stories. WE NEED TO KNOW THE STORIES! Another point stressed: what will our great-grandchildren wish they knew about us? What would we know about our ancestors if they’d had social media like we have today?

I finished another larger rag quilt, using cotton flannel remnants. This one will go to Baby L, and the little one I already gave her will seem like a changing pad compared to this.

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Then I finished another lap quilt, one not made of remnants but of charming designer flannel fabric: Les Amis by Patti Sloniger for Michael Miller Fabrics LLC.

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detail of Michael Miller fabric “Les amis de la foret”

For those creative readers who love this fabric, perhaps you could be the next fabulous new fabric designer? Check out this contest from Spoonflower and give it a chance!

I have sewn things that were given away, and later I forgot. If I did not keep a record I might not remember what I have done. Like the felted name tags for the FTWG conference, all gone and not remembered in the least. This giftee may not know that I picked the designer fabric just for her, with its French motif and Pantone color of the year, but here I note the remnants of the story.