I Play Ballet, 53 x 66 inches, by O.V. Brantley, 2010.

Over the last several months, I spent a lot of time making basketball quilts, and they are pretty self-explanatory. I Play Ballet needs a little explaining. Now that the quilt has been delivered to its new owner Niah Ester, I can tell you this story.

Recently, I was attending one of India’s basketball games sitting near Niah, the three-year old sister of Chris Johnson, one of India’s team mates. Since we were waiting for the game to start, one of the fathers of another teammate struck up a conversation with the precocious three-year-old.
 
“Are you going to play basketball like your sister when you grow up?” he asked.
 
I could tell he expected the normal “yes I want to be like my sister” answer. However, the three-year-old looked him straight in the eye, seemingly surprised that she would get such a silly question.
 
“I play ballet!” she said emphatically. “And I also sing.”
 
I will never ever forget that scene. After all, I love a woman who knows her own mind!
 
I knew at that moment that this little girl deserved a quilt.

I am happy to report that it was a wonderful surprise for her when it was delievered last night, and she loves her quilt!