Last week, I bought some fabric from India as a birthday gift for Maria, I thought it would be helpful for her to start getting close to India and the wonderful color and fabric that comes from there. I imagine her mind will be spinning for months when she returns. I wondered if she might make something in advance of her trip.

One of the fabrics had elephants and birds and beautiful symbols inside, the other was a tall beautiful tree. She hung the tree fabric on her wall, she said she couldn’t bear to cut it up, but the other fabric got into her head, and when I went into her studio today to see her, I was surprised – and happy – to see that she was deep into a new quilt, the Indian fabric all over the center, the heart of it.

It is filled with color and light, as is India itself. It did get into her head, and although she never mentioned it, a quilt was born. I suspected those elephants would trigger something, but you never know with her, she is not predictable and I would never try.

I am happy she is already getting close to India, and has made her first Indian Quilt, though not, I imagine the last. A week from Sunday, the 12th, she leaves for Calcutta (now Kolkata) to teach the victims of sex trafficking how to make her now famous potholders. But in truth, the journey began today. The quilt is still being worked on, it is not yet for sale. You can follow it on her blog.