Quilts, Tacos & Tattoos

Coffee Anyone?

Luckily, now I was doing what I loved and getting paid for it, so I stood at the cutting table of my mother's quilt shop, in the middle of July, with Christmas music blaring, surrounded by tacky holiday sweaters, glad to be cutting fabric for women to make holiday coasters for the burnt red coffee mugs lined up at the cash register.

My friends and kids at school could get lost in sports or music or whatever and shut out the rest of the world. I got lost in sewing. I got lost in an idea, the possibility of creating something totally new and totally mine. I would lie in bed at night and think, Those jean shorts would look really cute with a ruffle coming out of the bottom. Then I couldn't sleep, and I would be up late with a towel shoved under the crack of my door so I did not wake up Mom while I tried to complete my creation for school the next day.

I was suddenly brought back to the shop when a customer interrupted my daydream.

"Do you have this in green?" Ms. Helen asked.

"I think we do. Let me check in the back."

"Thank you, Dear."

I went to the storeroom and found the green polka dot fabric. As I reached up to get it, I heard the door jingle and got an eerie feeling that something was about to happen.

I don't have a sixth sense, and I can't tell the future, but I thought about Mitchell Goose coming in the store the week before and dropping off a sewing machine that he wouldn't leave a diagnostic deposit on. That man had made me feel very uncomfortable. I was glad to see it wasn't him when I went out with the fabric.

A young woman, looking very out of place, had just come into the shop. She asked Betsy if she could talk to Mom.

Mom heard her question and answered before Betsy could turn around. "Just a second. Let me finish this ticket."

The young woman wandered over to the quilt machines as I got back to the table with the fabric.

"How many yards, Ms. Helen?"

"Two."

"Any ribbon today?"

"Yes, I am looking for wide white rick rack."

"I've got some extra. How many yards of it?"

"The same."

Since I was on a roll, I asked, "How many coffee mugs with this today?"

"None. Why do I want a mug?"

"We are running a great special on them right now." I began my speech, just like Mom. "We have noticed a trend in people making quilt coasters for coffee mugs, so we created a very simple pattern to make your own. They make great gifts for the people on your list who are difficult to buy for, teachers, babysitters, and even the mailman. I mean, even if they don't drink coffee, they may drink tea. These gifts are so heart warming - tiny little quilts from your heart to theirs. Our pattern is so simple that it is like making a small baby quilt and then cutting it up for many mugs. It is really fast and easy to make a lot of them. How many do you think you will need?"

"Well, I guess I will start with two dozen." Luanne caught my eye and smiled.

"Great. I will go in the back and box some up for you." I passed Mom as I headed to the back. She was introducing herself to the young woman.

"Hi there. I'm Candy. How can I help you today?"

"Hello, Ma'am. My name is Darla."

"Are you looking for a machine today? We are offering a great deal with 36 month financing for this month to celebrate Christmas in July. What kind of things do you sew?"

"I don't sew much, but I would like to learn."

"Oh, great! We have some simple machines over here that are wonderful for beginners. They are easy to operate. As you get better and know what you like to sew, we can make adjustments to your machine and add attachments, as you need them. That way, you are not investing in a machine with a lot of attachments you will not use."

"Well, I am not sure what I am looking for. I am supposed to be..." The cowbell jingled again and a booming voice entered the store.

"What are you doing with my client?" All holiday cheer left the building. Mitchell Goose was back. "That is my client! I called your store and told you I was on my way."

"You did? To whom did you speak to?"

"How should I know WHOM? You bunch of women sound the same on the phone."

I remembered hearing Ruthie on the phone earlier. Mr. Goose walked to the side of the young woman and said, "Have you seen the machine?"

"No. I don't think so."

Turning to my mother he asked, "Would you mind going to the back and getting out my machine for her to look at?"

Confused, Mom called to me, "Cricket, please go to the back to get Mr. Goose's machine." I know she asked me because I am the only one in the shop besides her who was supposed to lift the machines.

Poncho only works three days a week in the summer and was off for the day. I looked through Poncho's workshop area and spotted the machine on the floor with a big orange ticket on it that said, "No deposit." I picked up the machine and took it to Mom. Before I could set it down, Mr. Goose said, "Whew...ee! She sure is a beauty, and so clean."

"Mr. Goose. We have not cleaned it yet."

"What? I thought that it is why I gave it to you?"

"We need your signature and a $25 deposit to run a diagnostic on the machine."

"Well, no matter. So what do you think it will cost to make this machine run again? My client might be interested in this here machine."

"I could not tell you until my technician takes a look at it."

"Technician. Ha. It's not a car. I mean it just needs a plug and a holder. How hard is that?"

"Well, it needs a power cord and a foot control and some presser feet for it to work."

"All right, so how much is each of those?"

"I am not sure. We would have to do research on this specific machine since it is older and see if we could even get the parts and if they are in the US. Most of these machines are made in Switzerland, and it might take some time. If you are looking for a basic machine, I would be happy to show you some used machines we have in the store that have already been repaired and are ready to go now."

"My client is not interested in those machines!"

The young woman looked at Mom, helplessness in her eyes.

"All right. Well, we are done here for today. When will you have that quote?"

"When we have the $25 for the diagnostic so we can look at the machine and figure out what parts are needed. I will also need you to sign a piece of paper saying that you approve of the work when we have the estimate."

"She is not signing anything. We need to go outside and talk in my office."

"I am not asking your, um, client to sign this. I am asking you to sign it." Mr. Goose grabbed the young woman by the elbow and marched her out the door and into the cab of his truck. They were gone.