Then there are those who "get" quilts...
05-10-2007, 06:04 PM
#14
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 1,618
I know I'm late on this line...but I couldn't resist telling a partial-quilting story.
My mom is in a nursing home and has been for almost 15 years. While she was still communicating it was explained to her after one of my visits that I had taken up quilting. I come from a family of people with artistic ability and the gene completely missed me. While the family just rolled their eyes and waited my mom sat there quietly and listened to their gossip. My first 2 quilts ever rolled off the block. I've made four and they are all the same for my father's mother and his three sisters. All 5 piece rail fence, but these two were pink and blue. My grandmother and aunt went to show them to my mom. None of them make quilts, clothes and other art forms. Mom said her first two words in 18 months..."where's mine?". The family had already warned me not to make her a quilt as the home uses borax or whatever and really hot water and the quilts the ladies auxiliary had made had to be hung up to be saved a nasty death. So I wracked my brain about what I could do. So, since fleece throws were in, I wanted to make her one. I searched through 6 stores before I found just the right one. Its chocolate on the back and cream on the front with chocolate colored roses with green leaves. It was my first project of the type so I cut and knotted with care. I sent it.....
The nursing home people refused to let her use it. It was hung up on a dowel. Mom wheeled herself to the wall (if you knew her, you would know that that alone took all day) and pulled it down around her, causing the dowel to break and hit her in the head. She was okay, just a bump. Now she can no longer communicate at all nor move in her chair. But each day, she wears that blanket no matter the weather. It is removed for eating so it won't stain, and then it is hand laundered by caring family. They replaced the dowel and hung up a quilt from the auxiliary on it. When mom isn't using it, they push the quilt aside and hang up her blanket. She loves to stare at it and until she was no longer able to, she pointed to it for all visiters to see. Still haven't made her a quilt...she just loves that blanket.
My mom is in a nursing home and has been for almost 15 years. While she was still communicating it was explained to her after one of my visits that I had taken up quilting. I come from a family of people with artistic ability and the gene completely missed me. While the family just rolled their eyes and waited my mom sat there quietly and listened to their gossip. My first 2 quilts ever rolled off the block. I've made four and they are all the same for my father's mother and his three sisters. All 5 piece rail fence, but these two were pink and blue. My grandmother and aunt went to show them to my mom. None of them make quilts, clothes and other art forms. Mom said her first two words in 18 months..."where's mine?". The family had already warned me not to make her a quilt as the home uses borax or whatever and really hot water and the quilts the ladies auxiliary had made had to be hung up to be saved a nasty death. So I wracked my brain about what I could do. So, since fleece throws were in, I wanted to make her one. I searched through 6 stores before I found just the right one. Its chocolate on the back and cream on the front with chocolate colored roses with green leaves. It was my first project of the type so I cut and knotted with care. I sent it.....
The nursing home people refused to let her use it. It was hung up on a dowel. Mom wheeled herself to the wall (if you knew her, you would know that that alone took all day) and pulled it down around her, causing the dowel to break and hit her in the head. She was okay, just a bump. Now she can no longer communicate at all nor move in her chair. But each day, she wears that blanket no matter the weather. It is removed for eating so it won't stain, and then it is hand laundered by caring family. They replaced the dowel and hung up a quilt from the auxiliary on it. When mom isn't using it, they push the quilt aside and hang up her blanket. She loves to stare at it and until she was no longer able to, she pointed to it for all visiters to see. Still haven't made her a quilt...she just loves that blanket.
05-11-2007, 03:07 AM
#16
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Wilmington, NC
Posts: 282
Mpeters your story touched my heart and made me cry. I used to work in a nursing home and it's true they do use hot water and bleach in there everyday wash of sheets and diapers to sanitize them but on personel laundry they are usually alittle more carefull how it's washed. Around x-mas time I always donate a few lap quilts to the home. Old people get cold easy and always like something to cover up with.
05-11-2007, 04:32 AM
#17
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,423
What a wonderful and touching story! It is truely heartwarming to her such a story. I love it when whatever I make is cherished! Some well menaing people will say, Oh its too pretty to use, we hung it up. I would much rather it be used and worn out than just hung on the wall. Your story is an inspiration to all of us to do what we can to make people happy through our creations.
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