These are all grest stories and I have mine....made a "Mariner's" pattern quilt for my father for his 80th birthday (papa passed in 2000). He was a" Merchant Marine" all his working yrs. I embroidered lots of memories of his life, taking my son fishing and doing things grandfathers and grandsons do. It was one of the first quilts I had made...straight stitched it to death..
To make a story short, the last I saw of it my son (who loved this quilt ) used it to cover the fireplace brick so the baby wouldn't get hurt... too funny.