cloth: bay area modern quilting + redwood shores public library

Four years ago I dropped out of a quilt guild, but have recently rejoined the sewing tribe. It was time. The meeting started with Lynette from my slow sewing group, showing and telling about the making (and test driving) of her latest travel totes. I was messaging Cybil at the same time that I do not have the skills in craftsmanship that these women have (a bit of imposter syndrome really).

And then Jaye, the president (who I pointed out to Cybil is also a librarian like us) stated that the BOM or block of the month is Flying Geese.

Oh yeah, I will use Kona Snow in order to tie all my blocks together in the quilt I'll make with this group. November and December's BOMs were the Checkerboard and the Friendship Star.

After quitting the group, I had moved most of my fabric stash into a storage unit and freed the real estate in my brain of sewing projects and obsessed on ceramics instead around 2022, but I still kept a pulse on sewing and was kindly welcomed by Bonnie into a Slow Sewing group of which I hosted a monthly meeting here and there. For 2026, I decided enough of those fabrics languishing in storage. Ironically, the 2026 Challenge is a UFO one, which starts with a list of 12 ufo/wip (unfinished objects/works in progress). Well shit my rebellious brain said fuck no, even though that was my intention for rejoining BAMQ. But if I were to make a list because I am not submitting my list of shame to the group...

• Halloween (log cabin?)fabrics which I've yet to decide on a quilt pattern
• Lucky Spool BOM one year which I started with Carolyn Friedlander's foundation paper pieced block and then gave up and deleted that folder of blocks in my emails but will use those blocks in another quilt
• a Zen Chic quilt of strip pieced improv blocks of brown and pink and red fabrics
• Kaffe Fassett & Liza Lucy's Dreamy Hexagons Medallion Quilt (bought the kit but have decided to not sew it and use the fabrics in 2026)
• Advent calendars for sister-in-law's 8 grandkids (nope!)
• Amy Butler quilt top and backing hanging in the closet
• Zen Chic Bliss quilt top and almost finished backing hanging in the closet
• ROYBGIV foundation paper quilt
• Did I finish the purple Panda quilt and then give it to someone else?

The bullets above are what I remember, but I'm sure there are lots more. Okay I've at least two show-and-tell quilts for next month at BAMQ which are the only two quilts I have not given away: my own dimensions of Purl Soho's Prism quilt with Liberty of London fabrics and a quilt made from a pattern I think that's called Flower Garden and of all my favorite Cotton and Steel fabrics. Below are my favorites of January's BAMQ show-and-tell, and the assignment was to bring in your first or oldest quilt. Cybil really liked this Tula Pink (and I once checked out Tula Pink's 100 Modern Quilt Blocks), and the backing includes a large Tula Pink fabric panel of a serpent.

 

Now this mini quilt to me is quintessential modern sewing. 

Uh oh, I'm feeling again like a poser or a phony quilter. But wait, I did sew that Campfire quilt x 2 for my nephew's daughter and son. My stitching skills have improved. Okay here's envy of someone's grab from the free table: a Hokusai panel.

I used to take stuff from the free table, but like vowing not to buy more fabric that I wasn't going to use right away, I likewise thankfully did not take new clutter, not even the blue and white men's shirting.

Instead I explored the Redwood Shores public library of which this visit was my first.  

 

I wanted to check out that book on basket weaving but did not. I peeked into the teen room and admired the open shelving. However, I did check out the following book.

Yep, that's my intention for 2026 to make a difference somehow, and I love that--small acts for big impacts. Just like in my clay and sewing practices. I do plan on sewing the Checkerboard, the Friendship Star, and the Flying Geese Blocks, but I want them to be all the same size 12" block, which is why I ordered this book.

I know, I know, I know. I don't need yet another book, and so I intend to bring the block book I do have in my library to the next BAMQ meeting for the Free Table.