The Giving Quilt (38 page)

Authors: Jennifer Chiaverini

She quit her e-mail and hurried downstairs to fix Nate and the boys a hearty breakfast before they set off for work and school in the blustery cold. Heavy snow was forecast for the evening, but by then the family would be reunited at home, content to let the storm rage outside while they kept safe and snug indoors, in the company of the people they loved best.

After seeing her family off, Karen set out for Summit Pass. She stopped for a cup of Christmas Chai to go at the Wise Owl Teahouse and greeted fellow merchants sweeping the sidewalks clear of snow in front of their shops as she walked down the block, her collar turned up, her chin buried in the scarf Margot had knitted her for her last birthday.

Margot and Elspeth were working at the cutting table when she arrived, cutting fat quarters from bolt ends to make into ribbon-tied bundles.

“I've been thinking,” Karen greeted them, setting her tea on the checkout counter long enough to shrug out of her coat, scarf, and mittens. “This iFabricShop app doesn't have to be a harbinger of doom. We could turn it to our advantage.”

Elspeth's eyebrows rose. “How so?”

“Getting customers into the store is half the battle, isn't it?” Karen carried her cup to the cutting table and pulled up a stool. “This app, as annoying and invasive as it may be, could be doing us a favor. It's sending new customers through our doors. It's up to us to win them over.”

“We can't beat the big box stores and the Internet juggernauts on price,” Margot reminded her.

“Then we'll beat them another way,” Karen countered. “Fabulous customer service. An inviting atmosphere. Complimentary tea and scones. A more engaging shopping experience. And let's not forget immediate delivery.” She sipped her tea, her thoughts racing, her optimism rising. “These potential customers are here in our charming shop, where they're treated like valued friends, not some account number. They're holding the fabric they want in their hands. Why on earth wouldn't they buy it from us and take it home as soon as they ring up their purchase, rather than go home, order it online without interacting with a single human being, and wait a few days for it to arrive in their mailbox?”

Margot and Elspeth exchanged a look. “She has a point,” Margot said, and Elspeth didn't disagree. Instead she sat back, regarded Karen thoughtfully, and waited for her to say more.

And Karen, who intended to be a part of String Theory until her own retirement many years hence, when she would pass the beloved, thriving shop on to a younger apprentice who would cherish it as much as she did, had much more to say.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am very grateful to the friends, family, and colleagues who offered the gifts of their time and talents to
The Giving Quilt
, especially Denise Roy, Maria Massie, Liza Cassity, Christine Ball, Brian Tart, Kate Napolitano, Melanie Marder Parks, and Janet Miller. I especially wish to thank Geraldine Neidenbach, Marty Chiaverini, and Brian Grover for reading early drafts of the manuscript and offering invaluable critiques and encouragement.
Merci beaucoup
to my friend Valerie Langue for the French dialogue.
Bisous!

Most of all, I thank my husband and my sons for their steadfast love and support. You are life's greatest gifts to me.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Chiaverini is the author of the
New York Times
bestselling Elm Creek Quilts series, as well as five collections of quilt patterns inspired by her novels. Her original quilt designs have been featured in
Country Woman
,
Quiltmaker
, and
Quilt
,
and her short stories have appeared in
Quiltmaker
and
Quilters Newsletter
. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, she lives with her husband and two sons in Madison, Wisconsin.