Memories of Linda Stimson

Today while continuing to re-organize and try to eliminate some of the boxes still sitting around my fabric room and studio, I was able to consolidate everything in 1 portable drawers and one box into a better storage container. That left me with a portable drawer that I could use for something else.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to put in it; actually there were many choices I was considering. That is until I uncovered a box behind my cutting station in the fabric room that I had totally forgotten.

I met Linda Stimson first in Omaha at the Crazy Quilt Conference and we quickly found out that we lived quite near to each other. We followed that with another Omaha Conference and 2 local gatherings of crazyquilters held in the east bay area where we had tons of fun learning together and getting to know everyone. The group consisted of many crazyquilters from No. California and at least 2 who flew in from So. California as well. The attraction? Well, we all shared in the expense of flying Betty Pillsbury to the West Coast for 2 and a half days of valuable "Betty knowledge"! Those 2 weekends were some of the best times I have had since beginning my Crazy Journey. We would also meet up at various quilt shows around the Bay Area - sometimes accidently and sometimes on purpose.

For those wonderful weekend gatherings, Linda lived nearby and was able to go home for the night every time. She didn't have to sleep in my friend's motorhome (1st weekend) or arrange patio cushions on the living room floor under her sleeping bag like I did for the 2nd weekend!

At one of those 2 retreats I took the picture below of Linda and posted it to the web as "the mystery crazyquilter". I had a contest to see who could guess who it was. She and I got a kick out of the guesses!

I believe it was in 2003 when Linda was diagnosed with cancer and her friends thought for sure she could beat it. It was a long journey for her and she passed away on December 28, 2005. She spend 2005 doing things she loved. She even traveled to the Orient late in that last year. Before she left she sent our local CQ group a box of her stash. She had been dividing up her stash that last year and we were lucky to be included in her sharing. I remember volunteering to go to her place to pick it up, but she wanted to mail it because she was leaving on her trip the next day.

When the box arrived I was blown away at the size of it and the wonderfulness it contained! At the next meeting of our local group I took it to share with our members. Looking back I recall they didn't make much of a dent in the volume of goodies. I brought the box home and stuck it in my sewing room closet.

When we cleared out the house in order to try to sell it, that box went to storage along with all the rest of my fabrics. Never unpacked, it was stacked behind the cutting center that G built for me in the fabric storage room - formerly his den.

The above is a picture of what's in the box and now will move to the extra portable drawer. The box is full of amazing and gorgeous fabrics which I treasure and they bring back such wonderful memories of Linda. If you did not know Linda, you can see some of her work at this link:

http://www.vintagevogue.com/html/linda_stimson.html -

I'm so glad that Vintage Vogue hasn't removed those picture. I have many other pictures on my computer and will try to get them posted with notes perhaps. Meanwhile I'm lost in happy memories of wonderful times.