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'Twas the Night Before Quilting

by

Mark Tiedeman of Quilter's Paradise

‘Twas the night before quilting when all through the shop Not a bobbin was stirring, you’d hear a pin drop The quilts were all hung on the high walls with care In hopes that Saint Quiltie soon would be there The bolts they were nestled all snug in their racks And fat quarters rolled or in bundles and packs The notions and patterns on pegboard formed rows While I working late had started to doze When out in the shop there arose such a clatter I sprang from my seat to see what was the matter Away to the floor I flew like a flash And almost fell down as I tripped on a stash The light o’er the Longarm cast down its white light Revealing bright colors from darkness of night When what to my wondering eyes should appear But the Statler shifting right into first gear The needle was dancing so lively and quick I knew in a moment it wasn’t a trick More rapid the stitches that formed on the frame I swore that I heard it call out and exclaim “Now Northcott! Now Moda! And Maywood and Hoffman! Go Blank, Benartex! And Miller and Kaufman! To the quilt top you go in shapes large and small! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!” As patterns emerged from a promising start The quilt was transformed, it was one work of art The Statler was humming, so smooth it just flew The stitches were perfect in lines straight and true And then in a twinkling I heard by the door The faint sound of footsteps come into the store I could not imagine as I turned around That it was Saint Quiltie who I had just found Dressed in fine fabrics from her foot to her head Her clothes were a patchwork of pieces and thread A tote bag of things she had hung on her side She looked like no stranger with something to hide Her eyes how they twinkled, her lips formed a grin She looked all around with her hand on her chin She set down her bag which she slid down her arm And from her front pocket swung one scissor charm A rotary cutter she held tight in her hand Plotting the angles she mapped out her plan With no wasted moves she dove straight through her packing Selecting the fabrics for her top and her backing She was quick and contented, an experienced quilter Her seams and her stitching were never off kilter A smile as her needlework used up her thread Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread She spoke not a word as she streaked through her work And pieced all the pieces with nary a quirk And laying her finger aside of her nose She nodded approval and struck a proud pose She sprang to the door as if a live missile And startled I almost let out a loud whistle But I heard her exclaim, her voice pure like a lilt “Happy Quilting to all and to all a good quilt!” © 2007 Quilter's Paradise