No doubt, the gift of a handmade quilt is the gift of love. The first time I saw quilts that were not just standard log cabin patterns or square blocks was when I was in high school. I went to high school on the Sioux and Assiniboine, the home of these Indigenous Tribes where a Native women would create items to morn the death of a loved one. Approximately a year after the death of the loved one the woman would give away handmade objects to people that helped during the time of insurmountable grief. Frequently you would see beautiful star quilts given away reflecting their thanks for kindness and friendship. My mother received such a quilt that is somewhere tucked away in a closet. Many indigenous women are known for their craft skills, and for their knowledge and knowhow in making star quilts. Unlike these Native women from my childhood, my sister-in-law, Barbara Wotherspoon is making quilts and fabric art-craft projects out of relentless joy and perhaps a little self-torture. ...