Chapter 29Emma stands in front of Lillian McKinney’s sampler quilt and squints. The stitches are so tiny, she can barely make them out, and she marvels at the patience it must have taken to piece each of the twelve blocks. Ohio Star, Old Maid’s Puzzle, she recites under her breath. Bear’s Paw, Lady of the Lake, Birds in the Air. The colors are faded, but Emma would guess the reds in the quilt are Congo Red and the blues are Cadet Blue. Barbara has been teaching her the history of fabric dyes, although honestly Emma doesn’t know how interested she is. She’d rather focus on the names of blocks and patterns. She likes it that she can name almost all of the blocks in Lillian’s sampler. She thinks Lillian would be proud of her.
When she steps back, she can view Lillian’s quilt and her own, her
