Opinion and Commentary By Donna Westfall – April 26, 2026 I went into "By My Hand" shop located at 415 J Street on the corner of 4th and J Streets and was amazed at the abundance of her inventory. She's got yarn. She's got fabric. She's got quilts and quilting machinery and more. Who knew? Well, she's been there for five years. Who is she? She's Laurie, the owner. She signed the Prop 218 Protest petition and took blank copies for anyone wanting to sign them. I told Laurie a little bit about my background. Becoming an award winning quilter, I used to knit and crochet sweaters and vests for a boutique in Beverly Hills. But that just touches the surface. Here's the back story. While living in Ojai, California (Ventura County), I became the treasurer of a little church, the Ojai Valley Wesleyan. They were operating in the red. While attending a huge Quilt Show with my husband, Doug, in San Diego, suddenly a thought occurred to me. We could do a quilt show at church. That would surely help their finances. Long story short, as a result of that epiphany, I learned how to quilt. I learned how to put together a quilt show. The first one was a success in 1996. It was small, but eventful. We had vendors. We had city-wide interest. We had movie stars come though. Most notable, Mary Steenburgen recently married to Ted Danson. Suddenly the church finances were no longer in the red. The next year, we made it a city-wide event. By year three, it was the third largest event in the city. My friend, Anne Boydston, helped to coordinate what became a massive event. By 1998, the Ojai Valley Historical Society had 140 vintage and modern quilts spread across many locations. It really helped the church finances, and it profited the city. Now, here's the sad part of this story. When we moved to Crescent City in 2007 and I was elected to sit on the City Council in 2008, I announced putting together a quilt show in this town. Not one of my fellow council members was supportive! The only organization that became involved was the local Quilt Guild and there wouldn't have been a show at all if not for their help. I encourage all you quilters and knitters and crocheters to go into By My Hand and say "HI" to Laurie. Maybe one of these days someone will be interested in creating a local quilt show and the City will be receptive and supportive. The Shop is closed on Sundays and Wednesdays. Otherwise they are open from 10 am to 4 pm.