Quilt Rachel

      One afternoon there was knock at the door and when Mom went to see who it was, there was a friendly lady standing there. She introduced herself as Rachel _____ and said she heard that Mom does odd jobs such as mending and baking and various other things for other people and wondered if she would be interested in quilting a quilt for her.
      Mom looked at the quilt she had brought along and agreed at a price of 35 cents for each yard of thread used.
      That was the start of a steady income. Mom would hand quilt a quilt every two to three weeks. John and I liked drawing up chairs beside her and watch as she made her needle fly in and out of the quilt. She showed us how to measure off yard long pieces of thread for her and taught us how to help wrap in the quilt frame whenever she had quilted everything she could reach.
      Another favorite was sitting under the quilt and pretending it's our house. We would arrange all our toys and had the grandest times living in our own little world under a quilt that day by day grew smaller until the day it was time to take the quilt from the frame.
      Mom would loosen the clamps that were holding the frame together and unwrap the quilt. Then she would give us each a small bowl and we would each choose a side and start pulling pins out. John and I would try our best to get our side done before Mom but usually she had to help us with the last few pins on our side.
      Mom would fold the quilt and the next day "Quilt Rachel" would be back with a new one to be quilted. It was always exciting to pin them into the frame and see what pretty colors and designs it would be this time. No two were ever the same.