Accompanying a slide show of beautiful quilts, Richmond described the women she has known and why a given quilt reminded her of their diverse and varied personalities and work styles. Some pursue theoretical research, whereas others are based in applications. Successful in a range of roles, many women focus on research and others on teaching. Integrating personal lives with their careers, some women combine their analytical lives with their hobbies. Others combine careers with children and pursue an ordered career life despite the chaos in the back of their minds.
Some women choose to return to their careers after having children.
The women scientists she knows are remarkable and most interesting for their varied and multidimensional lives, like the colors and varieties of fabrics used in quilts. All women in science have a variety of choices to be aggressive, assertive, cheerful, serious, and creative and the freedom to be visionary, to have children, or not to have children. Putting together one's own quilt takes hard work and persistence, but one will be ready then to look back and celebrate life. He also remarked that Richmond's presentation spoke to all chemists, because it said that the unexamined life is not worth living. She examined life and the choices made and encouraged everyone to do the same.