As quilters most of us end up making a memory quilt for someone in our travels. I thought this might be a nice thread for everyone to tell others about your memory quilts and the stories behind them. I was inspired to write this post after reading about a fellow quilter on this board who is making quilts for her family from her newly-deceased Dad's ties.
About 5 years ago a friend lost her Dad. Her Dad was 95 and her Mom 93 and they had been together since they were 15!!! Her Mom was deeply depressed after her beloved husband passed away. My friend asked if I would be able to make a small memory quilt from her Dad's shirts for her Mom to help lift her Mom's spirits (it was about 60" x 70" if I remember correctly.) I was honored to. This was the first quilt anyone asked me to make for them and I wanted it to bring her joy somehow and help ease her grief.
It was a quilt as you go quilt and I like how it turned out. I brought it to her Mom during a Christmas party and the whole family had flown in from all over the country - a big family. You would have thought I gave her the gift of gifts the way everyone treated me and was so excited for their Mom to receive this gift (she didn't know it was finished yet or that I'd be bringing it to the party.) Her Mom was teary eyed with happines. It touched my heart to watch the Mom, her children, and grandchildren all looking at the pieces of fabric and talking about his shirts and the beautiful memories the fabrics brought to them.
I think of all the quilts I've made this one was appreciated most of all. It was pretty but not a raving beauty.