Beth Ferrier’s Blog

My all time favorite movie is “It’s a Wonderful Life” starring Jimmy Stewart. George Bailey is one of my heroes. He’s just an average guy, living an average life, doing the right thing, selflessly.

For those who may never have seen this terrific old movie, on Christmas Eve George finds that his building and loan company is in deep trouble, not by his own doing. In his dispair, George wishes that he had never been born, a wish that is granted. Guided by Clarence, the most charming angel ever, George gets the chance to see a world without him.

As I listen to the news of the day, so sensational and scary, I think of how George Bailey handled the stock market crash of ‘29. So sensibly, he refused to panic. His counterpart, Mr. Potter, a crotchety old miser who owns the only other bank in town offers to buy up George’s accounts for pennies on the dollar.  As George’s office lobby filled with frightened customers, George explained the situation. “Mr. Potter isn’t selling, Mr. Potter is buying. And why? Because we’re panicking and he’s not.”

All ends well for George, he learns that his average life counted for quite a bit, a lesson that I have taken to heart. We don’t have to be rich, famous, beautiful or clever to live a meaningful life. We just need to do the right thing, selflessly. We don’t have to help on a grand scale. Small good deeds can make a huge difference in someone’s life.

I have faith that all this falderal will work itself out. I’m hoping that it’s an opportunity for our leaders to show their best selves. George Bailey may be nothing more than a character in a delightfully smarmy movie, but I’m looking for a bit of him in each of us.

Yes, I’m still here, not blogging but feeling very guilty about not blogging. Does that count? There always seems to be something else to do, something more immediate, more pressing, more interesting.

I’ve heard from the publishers and they liked the proposal. I got the “yippie call” about a week ago. I’m still smiling about that. And sobered by an October deadline for the first draft. I’m so glad I kept working on the book all summer!

I don’t know how much I’ll be able to say or show about the book. Since I’m used to being my own boss (and at times a pretty hard to work for boss, very demanding!) it will be interesting to see how this new relationship blossoms.

I’m doing a lot of local (meaning within driving distance) teaching in the next week. One of the projects I’ve been working on but not allowed to show has been an exclusive pattern for The Quilted Cottage here in Saginaw, for their Moda University club. I used Moda’s new fabric line called Cotton Blossoms.

The shop sold out of their kits in an afternoon, but the pattern, called Cottage Blossoms, is still available. You can order it from them or through my website if you like. It finishes about 50 inches square, perfect for cuddling on the couch on these cool fall days.

On Monday, Sept 22 I’ll be at The Quilter’s Garden in Fenton, MI. The Sneaky Piecing Tricks class is already full, but the trunk show at 6:30 is still has room.

The Sew What Quilt Gathering is next Saturday and Sunday (September 27 & 28)  in Wyandotte, MI. I have no idea if the classes still have openings, but I’ll bet the lecture is still available.

As for today, I’m supposed to be writing an article for my column in American Quilt Retailer, and I’ve got nothing! I keep throwing words at the page hoping something will stick. It’s so bad that doing laundry seemed like more fun. I need five hundred words before I leave for Fenton in the morning. Actually, I need five hundred words strung together in a meaningful fashion. That’s the rub. But for now, the laundry needs to be rotated.