Quilted Memories

Change, albeit unstoppable, is my nemesis.  This last week of school has been a very difficult week.  For the last three years I have submerged myself in the friendships, the love, the magic that has been John Thomas Elementary.   And Friday, all of that came to an end.  I was thinking about all that has happened over the last three years, and how many wonderful friendships and memories have been made.  Some of those memories I tried to preserve in quilts.  The Lawsonland quilt and the Thomas T-Shirt quilt, both of which turned out to be wonderful treasures. 

I started thinking about how many memories there are in quilts.  Almost everyone has a special memory attached to that special quilt Great-Grandma-so-and-so made.  A quilt they received as a wedding gift.  A quilt they remember sleeping under as a child.   What is is about that warm and snuggly fabric that attaches so strongly to our memories?  Some quilts are worn and ragged from years of love and use.  Some quilts are old, yet pristine, specially preserved over the years.  But no matter the condition, they hold memories.  Hundreds of moments captured in time.

It reminded me of a quilt I made in 2007, just a few months after Hunter was born.  I wanted to capture a bit of time (a year, actually) into fabric.  12 blocks, 1 for every month of the year.

It ended up being a much larger project than I anticipated, because I ended up making 4 of these.  One for each Grandma, one for Aunt Jenn, and one for Great-Grandma.  And then I decided they had to be done in time to give all 4 of them as Christmas gifts.  Each block represents a month with hand prints or foot prints, and is embellished.  Yes, I am that crazy.  No, I will not ever do that again!!!
 

 

 I ended up not having time to have all the actual quilting done, so I gave them quilt tops, the backing and binding, and let the family quilt them or have them quilted as they desired.  One day the boys will inherit these, and when they do, I hope they will give their families the opportunity attach loving memories to their own childhood hand prints.