The Joy of Giving...Something You Made

My friend and I have a favorite restaurant where we try to go every week or so. It's called Herradura, and they offered the freshest, well prepared Tex-Mex food for this area....and the margaritas are to die for. So what does this have to do with fabric? It's simple.

One of our waiters, named Antonio, and his wife are having a baby in a week or so. Antonio is about the most puffed up proud daddy I've ever seen. He's beside himself with excitement. He did tell us his only regret is that his little baby boy will not be born in his home country of Mexico.

Phyllis, my friend and partner in quilts and projects, and I have known from the day Antonio and his wife were expecting we would give the baby a quilt. The gift day has arrive and little Angel (the name picked for the baby) will get his quilt. It's a pretty scruffy-edged quilt done in greens and yellows, oversized so it can be taken into childhood and has the cutest frogs embroidered at the top. Phyllis and I call it the Fernando el Ramos quilt as ramos is the Spanish name for Frog. In English it would be Fred The Frog. We had more fun creating the concept and taking the drawing of a frog and lily pads and translating it to a computerized drawing we could print and use.

Antonio has been kind and become a true business friend. Both Phyllis and I have a deep admiration for this young man and his dedication to his wife and the baby on the way. Nothing could compare to the pleasure we will receive giving him and his little family something that came from our own hands. It's our turn to serve him. Receiving from another who serves from the depth and strength of their character is rare these days. While it a treat the true reward is being able to give back in the same spirit. It will give me personal joy imagining little Angel wrapped up in his baby quilt and using it for a few more years. Perhaps his mom and dad with save it for their next baby and reuse it, or little Angel will sleep with it at night. Whatever happens a piece of the love and spirit that went into that little quilt will remain with it and hopefully be passed to Angel. May he have the grace and kindness his father has because it is what made us want to share our gifts with him as he has shared his with us.

Happy sewing and crafting. Make something and give it away.