The night before a quilt retreat, the packing list gets serious. Machine, extension cord, the good thread, the project you promised yourself you would finish this time, and one little surprise for the side pocket. Feathered Flock Flasks is where that surprise comes from: the Quilt Hair Don't Care birds on flasks, with our tall friend Noodle Beakman also coming along on other favorites for the cabin evenings and on a wine sipper for the late ones.
Leading the road trip: Noodle Beakman
Noodle is the lanky orange bird with the red mop of hair and round, slightly alarmed eyes, perched on a leafy branch next to a leaning tower of folded fabric. Quilt Hair I Don't Care is lettered beside him in warm, fabric-filled orange. He is the bird who packed three bags for a weekend and needed every one, which is exactly why he gets the front seat.
The flasks that brought supplies
Some birds arrive ready to work. Snipsy Wren shows up with a green cutting mat, a rotary cutter and scissors, wearing a halo of rainbow curls under arched lettering. Ziggy Bobbin brought the sewing machine, a tiny one, and stands beside it with his wings thrown open in pride. Puffin Bea brings a tidy stack of fat quarters and a cloud of thread-colored tangles. Ruckus Jay and Peaches Plume each carry a pieced block for show-and-tell, his a bold star, hers a bright patchwork square. Lady Plumeadora the peacock hauls a heap of green fabric she insists she will use, and Frizzle Mae stands beside her own scrap pile, beak open in delight.
The ones who stay up late
After the lights dim in the main room, the night owls of the flock take over. Velma Nightwing, a violet bird under a swirl of dark plumes, pours the red and keeps her sewing machine humming. Curlene Spoolworth dozes on her perch while spools sway gently below her. Pip Patchlet airs out her pink and green quilt on a branch for one more admiring look. And Chaos Finch, rainbow feathers flying, sits on a pile of quilt blocks shrieking with joy about the border she just finished.
For the retreat roommate
Somewhere in your circle is a quilter who counts down to retreat weekend, a friend who always rides shotgun on the way to the quilt show and a sewing buddy who keeps the sweet tea, the cocoa or something stronger tucked in her tote. Her flask is in this flock, ready for the side pocket next to the seam ripper. Then label your rotary cutter too, because at retreat, everything wanders off to another table eventually.
Written by Judy. Thanks for reading.
