Almost 2 months ago a beautiful baby boy was born. He has his momma’s pouty lips and his daddy’s heavy eyes and, hopefully (probably), all of both of their cool.
Jamila, the new momma, has been a constant source of inspiration for me since I met her at the library where we both worked. She’s a great librarian who consistently made me want to step up my game, but more than that she’s an artist. A fantastic artist. And her refusal to let her art slide just because she had a 40/hr week job was what I really needed to see at the time.
Her art is beautiful, but she’s also put in the time to learn the business behind being a successful woman marketing herself and her work. Jamila talked me through opening my etsy store, gave me tips on packaging and presenting my work, and sent me encouraging e-mail after encouraging e-mail when I was freaking out over my first craft fair.
This baby is so blessed to have her as a mom. To have both of his parents as his parents. I know he’ll be loved unconditionally, encouraged in all his pursuits, respected in the choices he makes and raised to be a concerned and aware citizen of the world. There’ll be mistakes and hard times, lessons learned and forgotten and learned again. But when you start in the world with such a sturdy foundation it’s easier to make the wonderful and beautiful contributions to the world that I know are in store for him.
This quilt, almost 2 months late, is, in the words of Cher Horowitz, a total Monet. While it may look good from a distance, up close it’s easy to see the mistakes and strains. But Jamila is an artist too, and I know that she knows that it’s the fingerprints that make art beautiful.
Yady Kates 
Thank you so much for your kind words. I am also inspired by your art and success business. Baby Malcolm loves his perfect quilt!