And from Sarah Morgan
FROM MANHATTAN WITH LOVE
Sleepless in Manhattan
Sunset in Central Park
Miracle on 5th Avenue
New York, Actually
PUFFIN ISLAND
First Time in Forever
Some Kind of Wonderful
One Enchanted Moment
For a complete list please visit sarahmorgan.com/books.
SUSAN
WIGGS
SARAH
MORGAN
A Summer of Firsts
Table of Contents
The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs
First Time in Forever by Sarah Morgan
Excerpt
THE GOODBYE QUILT
Susan Wiggs
To my curly-headed daughter, Elizabeth—you are my sunshine.
Contents
Day One
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Day Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Day Three
Chapter Five
Day Four
Chapter Six
Day Five
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Day Six
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Day Seven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
One
How do you say goodbye to a piece of your heart? If you’re a quilter, you have a time-honored way to express yourself.
A quilt is an object of peculiar intimacy. By virtue of the way it is created, every inch of the fabric is touched. Each scrap absorbs the quilter’s scent and the invisible oils of her skin, the smell of her household and, thanks to the constant pinning and stitching, her blood in the tiniest of quantities. And tears, though she might be loath to admit it.
My adult life has been a patchwork of projects, most of which were fleeting fancies of overreaching vision. I tend to seize on things, only to abandon them due to a lack of time, talent or inclination. There are a few things I’m truly good at—Jeopardy!, riding a bike, balancing a checkbook, orienteering, making balloon animals…and quilting.
I’m good at pulling together little bits and pieces of disparate objects. The process suits me. Each square captures my attention like a new landscape. Everything about quilting suits me, an occupation for hands and heart and imagination.
Other things didn’t work out so well—Szechuan cooking, topiary gardening, video games and philately come to mind.
My main project, my ultimate work-in-progress, is Molly, of course. And today she’s going away to college, clear across the country. Correction—I’m taking her away, delivering her like an insured parcel to a new life.
Hence the quilt. What better memento to give my daughter than a handmade quilt to keep in her dorm room, a comforter stitched with all the memories of her childhood? It’ll be a tangible reminder of who she is, where she comes from…and maybe, if I’m lucky, it will offer a glimpse of her dreams.
All my quilting supplies come from a shop in town called Pins & Needles. The place occupies a vintage building on the main street. It’s been in continuous operation for more than five decades. As a child, I passed its redbrick and figured concrete storefront on my way to school each day, and I still remember the kaleidoscope of fabrics in the window, flyers announcing classes and raffles, the rainbow array of rich-colored thread, the treasure trove of glittering notions. My first job as a teenager was at the shop, cutting fabric and ringing up purchases.