On Wednesday I ventured out to the Montavilla Sewing Center in Gresham for some quilting and sewing instruction. Each week from 10 AM to 6 PM, roughly the same group of women drop by Montavilla to work on their sewing projects and to receive pointers from sewing extraordinaire Lynda. Here is a picture of Lynda and I, standing over a "practice" quilt piece of mine. I was thrilled to receive some suggestions on how to improve my sewing technique.

My experience quilting with the ladies at Montavilla, along with conversations with my neighbors while collecting fabric has led me to think more about the tradition of the quilting guild. I am interested in this idea of establishing community through the event of coming together to sew and share stories.