Originally Posted by Gerbie
n2scraplvr
I love your quilt and tute. Thanks so much. I went back and check your other posts, and love the stories of your family. Both of my parents are gone now, we were a small close knit family, just my parents, my brother and me. Now it's just my brother and me. We live about 200 miles apart, but talk almost daily on the phone, sometimes several times a day. Family memories mean so much. Mother died in 1990 and Daddy in 2004. I luckily made my mother a king size quillow with her favorite flower and color machine embd. on the pocket, a large red rose. I made it about 10 years before she passed away and gave it to her as a birthday and combination Mother's Day gift, her bday was May 18. I had not really started qulting at that time, but made Mother and my MIL both one. My MIL 's had a large yellow rose on the pocket, her favorite color, but she wasn't as appreciative of hers as was my Mother. She didn't sew and I guess didn't realize how much trouble and time was put into it. She passed away about a year and a half ago, and no one knew where the quillow was, I wanted to keep it for my DH. Our daughter is living in MIL's house in another town, and while over there visiting, I saw the pocket of the quillow in the yard, DD's young dog, had it out and was laying on it. The pocket had been cut off of the quilt, you could tell and none of us knew where it had been, but think it was in one of the storage buildings with some old things that were stored. DD's dog is constantly dragging thisngs out of some of the storage buildings if he can get into the buildings.I was furious and also crushed to think this had happened. When I took the scrap of the pocket into the house and showed my DH, he was also angry. Oh, Well water under the bridge now. I still have my Mother's. I also made a king size log cabin for my Dad for BDay & Father's day the year after Mother died. I still have his. I thought I would give these to my DD and DS. Both were very close to my parents, and both would appreciate them. I think you should keep you HAPPY Lappy since you apparently did it as a memory quilt so to speak, and list it that way for your family. Love your quilt and stories. Sorry for the long reply, but your stories brought back these memories and I just had to vent I guess. Gerbie
Gerbie, I loved hearing your story as well!! How thoughtful of you to make those two beautiful quillows and the KS log cabin too for your family!! Sadly, we just wish (as quilters) that everyone valued the time, labor and love put into making a quilt, but unfortunately, not everyone has the same values as us nor do they understand the time involved in making one and believe it or not, some people think quilters can "just whip these things right out!!" Non-quilting people cannot relate to a quilt or its making! I found that out one day when I saw the beautiful quilt I made my son on his bedroom floor with his BARBELLS (!!!!) sitting on it!!!! The quilt that I spent 7 years making him immediately became mine again when I saw this! Yes, I lifted those barbells right off the quilt, took it back and explained to him "you don't deserve a quilt yet." (He was in high school at the time and should have known better!). When you think how careful you are to take care of your things with utmost care and hope your children follow suit, it doesn't work. They have different outlooks and value systems. Quilters automatically have "built-in" value systems! haha. I believe that last statement is true!! I didn't judge him for making a mistake, but I was wrong for my poor decision in not giving it to the right person. Wisdom is everything! I needed to use wisdom here and didn't. It's because we care so much about what we give away that we want it to be cared for in the way we would lovingly care for it and if it doesn't meet our expectations, we are crushed on every side. So we live and we learn. It is a memory quilt, but I want it to be used to bring joy to someone else! And the Lord will surely give it to who He wants to bless next!! I see things different now. After it leaves my hands, it's the Lord's and I'm not concerned with what happens to it. I know its purpose will have been met in creating it and that makes me happy! What a long reply, but I think it addresses the question all quilters have after a quilt leaves our hands. Everything has a purpose under the sun! Your quillows have met their purpose but they may still have another purpose yet and one day you'll know who they are for! Hope you feel better now about seeing your quilt pocket in the wrong hands like I saw mine. Hopefully, these quilts will go to a loving caretaker and we'll all be happy at the same time! Thank you so much for sharing with me and all of us reading and loving my quilt and tute and stories!! God bless you!
n2.
;) ;)