On The Edge

We moved onto the canyon rim in Paradise California just a year before the Camp Fire that devastated the town and destroyed the homes of most of our friends. Our home was on the edge of the fire, the entire canyon behind us burned. A few nearby homes also burned, but most of our neighborhood survived with little damage. We are grateful that our home was spared and are adjusting to the changes that the fire imposed on us, the distance of our friends who have had to move away, and the distance into nearby Chico for most services since very few remain in town.

Yet the beauty of this place remains, the once blackened canyon is taking on its lovely spring green and from my windows the only remaining evidence of the fire are the dead trees along the canyon rim and on the ridge across from us. This is the first home I’ve had with a designated sewing room and it’s wonderful that the window of that room looks down canyon into the valley. The view of the canyon, the valley below, and the Sutter Buttes in the distance thrill my heart each time I glance up from my sewing and gaze at the scene out my window.

Though this is a quilting blog, it seemed appropriate to begin by writing about the place where quilting happens. Having a sewing room means many things to me, and one of the best is having room enough to share with other quilters. It’s a pleasure to spend time with a friend as we work on our various projects. It’s also nice to have input from another quilter on various aspects of any given project, as well as another set of eyes on the design board. I also appreciate having a place where the mess of creativity can be left for as long as it takes for a project, or at least an aspect of it, to come together.

Next post: What’s on the design board and what I’d like to accomplish this month.

This afternoon’s view