Mark Lipinski Stops By

My most excellent quilting buddy stopped over yesterday. Mark Lipinski has probably the most effervescent personality you could ever encounter. The fact that he quilts is just a plus! He is a nationally known quilt teacher/personality, a quilt and fabric designer, and he IS Quilters Home Magazine. I've known Mark for several years - before the magazine ever came about, and I can honestly say that he hasn't changed a bit. It totally cracks me up that at quilt shows around the country, people line up for his autograph or to take his picture. Little do they know that Mark is just as down home as the rest of us. Why, you could stop over to his house anytime, and he's quite likely to answer the door in grungy sweats! A really normal guy, in other words. Well, about as normal as the reaction you get from mixing mentos and Coke! That's my little intro to Mark. Like I said, one of my favorite guys. He brought the box of his new fabric line called Califon. I really like this line. The black and whites are wonderful, and the butter yellows and blue are going to be popular. So, we spread out the fabrics over the kitchen table and discuss patterns. Mark is a dynamo, but even he runs out of hours in the day. He needs several quilts made up to accompany the new fabric line's debut at Spring Quilt Market in a few weeks. He hands over the patterns, and I'll whip a couple out this weekend. He knows he can count on me.


Meanwhile, Mae comes home from school and is SO excited that Mark is here. She LOOOOVES Mark. He is one of the few people who doesn't treat her like she's disabled in any way. He totally rags on her and she laughs so much that later she'll tell me that her stomach still hurts from laughing. The two of them have a total back and forth convo on almost everything under the sun while I play with the new fabric. Mark keeps trying to convince her to marry him so that she can clean his house every day. Haha, she keeps turning down the offer - imagine that. Mae tells Mark about Camp Marcella, the camp for the blind in NJ, that she'll be attending this summer. He teases her about smores, campfires and boys..... and whoa! Boys?! Mark launches into his best "Daddy" mode.


Look how stern Mark can get!! I think that if any guy ever gives Mae a problem, Mark will be next in line to beat the guy up behind her dad and two brothers.