The Healing Quilt Read Online Free PDF Page A

I designed myself. I call it, ‘Pebbles on the beach.’”
    “That’s beautiful,” Phyllis said as Lamar brought it closer to the table. “I’ve always enjoyed living near the water, and I guess that’s a good thing, since my husband fishes for a living.”
    “My wife has a few other quilts she’d like to show you,” Lamar said.
    Emma stood, and with Lamar’s help, held up the first quilt. “Here’s another pattern that reflects the beauty of the ocean. It’s called, ‘Ocean Waves,’” she explained.
    “I really like that one.” Kim smiled. “My dog, Maddie, loves to frolic in the waves.”
    “What kind of dog do you have?” B.J. questioned.
    “Maddie is a German shepherd, and I think she loves the beach as much as I do.” Kim chuckled, her laugh lines deepening. “Her favorite thing is chasing seagulls, but she also enjoys prancing through the waves and playing fetch with whatever I throw her.”
    Everyone smiled. Everyone but Erika, that is. She just sat with her arms folded, looking bored with it all.
    “What’s that pattern called?” Jennifer asked, pointing to a quilt Emma had draped over a wooden rack.
    Emma smiled. It was good to see her students taking an interest in the quilts. “That one is the dahlia pattern. As you can see, it has a three-dimensional effect from the gathered petals surrounding the center of each star-shaped flower.”
    “I think I’d like to try painting that quilt,” B.J. said. “I like the unusual design and muted fall colors.”
    “Now that Lamar has explained the history of Amish quilts, and we’ve shown you several quilt designs, I’ll explain what we’re going to do with the quilted wall hangings you’ll be learning to make.” Emma motioned to the bolts of material stacked on the table. “As you can see, I have lots of fabric to choose from, and I always ask my students to begin with a simple star pattern for their first project.”
    Noreen frowned. “I thought we were going to learn how to make a full-sized quilt. I want one to put on my bed.”
    “You need to become well-acquainted with the basics of quilting first,” Lamar said.
    “That’s right,” Emma agreed. “By the time you finish these classes, you’ll know the basics of quilting, so you should be able to make a larger quilt if you want. Of course, you may use whatever colored material you like for your wall hangings, which will make each of them distinct.” She held up a smaller quilt with various shades of green. “I wanted to show you what your quilted wall hangings will look like when they’re done. You’ll begin today by choosing the colors you want and then cutting out the log cabin squares and the points for the star.”
    “Before we do that, why don’t we take a break for some of the tasty cookies Emma made this morning?” Lamar suggested. “When we’re finishing eating, everyone can choose their material and cut out the patterned pieces.”
    Kim smacked her lips, while patting her stomach. “That sounds good to me. I’m always ready for a snack.”
    Everyone but Erika nodded. The girl sat with a scowl on her face.
    Dear Lord, please show me how to get through to her
, Emma prayed.
I believe this young girl needs to know how much You love and care for her, and maybe that will be revealed to her during one of our classes
.

C HAPTER 5
    W hen Emma and Lamar returned from the kitchen with a plate of cookies and a pot of coffee, B.J.’s stomach growled. He hadn’t felt up to eating breakfast, but now he was actually hungry.
    When he’d been taking chemo, he’d had no appetite, and often got sick to his stomach. Then there was the hair loss and the unrelenting fatigue. He could handle being bald, since many men his age shared that condition. But between being nauseous and feeling so tired he could barely cross a room, he had concluded that the treatments were worse than the cancer itself.
    Then B.J. had been told that his cancer was beginning to spread. He’d decided