“Thank you, Nic.” Celeste smiled around the room and continued, “Thank you all for coming tonight. I know you’re all curious why I called you all together, and I apologize for being cryptic with my invitation, but I wanted to present this idea face-to-face. You see, I’d like to invite you all to join me in establishing a quilting bee.”
“A quilting bee?” Sarah repeated. “Celeste, I swore off needles when I tried to make Lori a poodle skirt for the fifth-grade sock hop.”
“Just hear me out, Sarah. This idea is part of my vision for our healing center. I want to have a special quilt for each room, and I’d like them to be made from the fabrics of our lives in Eternity Springs. Fabrics like these.”
She reached into one of the totes and removed a stack of fabrics, which she spread out on the floor. Satins, silks, and laces, all in shades of white.
“Those look like pieces of wedding gowns,” Sarah said.
“Give the girl a bouquet.” Celeste pointed toward an off-white satin train. “That’s from Marlene Hart’s gown. The silk is Lisa Cartwright’s. The bodice with all the embellishments is Margaret Stewart’s.”
Nic said, “Each of those ladies has celebrated at least her silver anniversary. Margaret and Jess Stewart had an awesome golden anniversary party last year.”
“So you think it would be, what, a magic marriage quilt?” Emma Hall asked.
“No. The snow-white satin is Monica Brown’s. I understand that her marriage lasted less than a year.”
“Okay, then, I’m confused,” Sarah said.
Sage knelt on the floor and began examining the fabric. “I think I get it. A quilt made of wedding gowns would be symbolic of hope and happiness—that dream that every bride has on her wedding day.”
Not every bride, Nic thought, stealing a look at her husband and discovering that he was stealing one back at her, too. She quickly turned her attention back to Sage.
“That’s right,” Celeste agreed. “I do see the quilts as a symbol of Eternity Springs and the positive energies of its people. Take this wedding gown quilt, for example. Think of all that will go into it. Not just the love and hopes and dreams represented by these lovely fabrics, but the friendship, companionship, laughter, and love we will share as we work to create our quilts. It’s the compassion we feel for those who will come to our healing place with troubled souls and wounded spirits. Imagine being in a painful emotional place and snuggling up in a beautiful representation of the special life force that this town, this valley, has to offer.”
“Okay, I’m sold,” Emma Hall said. She glanced at LaNelle Harrison. “I trust you are going to teach us what to do and how to do it?”
“Of course. I have ulterior motives, you know. I figure I’ll get you all hooked on quilting and it will triple my business.”
“I want to play, too,” Sarah said. “However, I need to know what sort of time commitment we’re looking at. I’m stretched pretty thin already.”
Celeste nodded. “I’d like us to meet once a week, but don’t let that stop you from joining. I think we should be flexible. Our group should be something that’s fun, not a burden. If you know of anyone else you’d like to have join us, please feel free to invite them. We’ll have plenty of projects to work on.”
Sarah glanced at Nic and asked, “Do you think we could talk Lori into joining? I think it would be nice for us to participate in an activity as equals, not as mother and daughter.”
“That’s a great idea,” Nic replied. “I think she’d love to be part of this group.”
“Will all the quilts be wedding gown quilts?” Wendy Davis asked. “I’ll be happy to contribute mine to the cause. It’s just hanging in my closet gathering dust.”
“We can certainly make more than one wedding gown quilt, but I’d also like to make quilts from other fabrics of Eternity Springs. I’d like to see quilt tops made from kitchen curtains and children’s clothes. Happy things. Happy themes.”
“I love it.” Sage looked up from the length of lace she’d been studying. “How do we start?”
Celeste smiled at LaNelle. “That’s your cue, my friend.”
“We start by making some decisions. We must decide on our project’s size and pattern. I’ve brought pattern books for us to peruse.” LaNelle reached into the tote bag she’d brought along and passed around books and magazines. “Since we are making quilts for a healing center, I’ve marked patterns