You are truly blessed, and how sweet that he remembered how you had stayed up until he came home safely. Sometimes I think boys appreciate the quilts that their mothers made them, than girls, sometimes. I am basically a self-taught quilter, although over the years I have taken classes to improve my skills. The first quilt and only quilt that I hand quilted, I made for my daughter, who picked out the colors and fabrics for the quilt. I then made a bright blue and black triple Irish chain quilt for my son. When it came time for the backing, he told me he wanted a leopard print fabric. Well, sometimes you get lucky, as my sister and I had gone to a large discount store, where I found the perfect leopard print, and the yardage was perfect. I think he was about 12 when I made the quilt, and whenever he left home and came back, the quilt went with him. I'm happy that he liked my quilt so much, and that it was well used and loved.