This beauty was created in memory of a husband and father.  It’s made from his clothing: his t-shirts, ties and monogrammed cuffs from dress shirts. His sweaters made up the borders.  He was a attorney and liked sports.  Tennessee and the team colors were his favorite and these were all included as part of the design for the finished quilt. Quilts were a part of his growing up years, and his wife wanted to include some elements reminiscent of those old timey, traditional quilts. So the “flying geese”–groups of triangles on the quilt– came to life along with the elaborate stars and other “pieced” quilty elements. 

They have 4 children together. I’ve never met them, but I know their names from pictures. I looked through all of them and offer my input  as she’s trying to narrow down which ones to include on the big quilt. Which ones to include on 4 smaller quilts for the children.  One in particular I liked, he was smiling.  He’s sitting behind the wheel of his car, a nice BMW. “What about that one I asked?”  She hesitated.   Then silence.  Then “No”. 

He was driving that car on his way home from work when he died. Natural causes.  It was sudden.  

He is gone; but when two are in love, the relationship doesn’t die with death.  It lives, hovering in the air.  It’s like an aura surrounding those left.  I’ve felt it before. Hard to explain, but he’s still here.

Her arms are full of bags of his clothes. I’ve been selected to pull all of the memories together in to a new creation.  From her ideas and her vision it’s a technical challenge, yet spiritual undertaking that brings comfort.  This is why I do this.