Quilts

I have been agonizing for a couple of weeks about what to give my ds, who will be turning 18 in a few weeks, for his birthday. My mom had a tradition of giving her kids a big present when we graduated from high school, but my ds will not be graduating. So I have been trying to decide how to go about celebrating that special time when the apron strings are clipped and my kids become adults. For my mom, that was graduation; for me, I think I'll celebrate their 18th birthday instead.

Since deciding that, I tried to decide what item I want my children to leave my nest with. Something that they will treasure, that will come in handy, and that will remind them of me when they are away from home. I decided on a quilt.

How I wish that I would have realized that was the gift that I wanted to give a little earlier in the year! My poor son might get his gift in the summer instead of on his birthday!

My choice had a lot to do with this quilt:



This is a quilt that my grandma made for my mom and dad. The date embroidered on it says "1975". My mom accidentally left it behind when she moved from my home into her own apartment a few years ago after staying with us for a year. I asked her if I could keep it, and she agreed! I have hung this quilt behind my bed as both a decoration and a barrier to the approaching cold weather. My grandma's quilt will keep both my body and soul warm this winter!

The thing is, my grandma passed away over 10 years ago. This quilt is the closest thing I have to her. She spent many hours laboring away on this quilt, and that is what I have left of her.

I realized that that is what I want to give my children: a piece of me that will last for as long as the quilt does. It will warm their hearts as it reminds them of the love and service that I have given them throughout their childhood, and it will warm their bodies when it is cold. It will be there through the good times and bad, and I hope that they remember my love for them every time they look at it.

Okay, lest I wax too emotional here, I will discuss the physical aspects rather than the emotional ones for a while.

I saw this quilt on maggiestitches. And then I followed her link over to the Bloomin' Workshop and saw this quilt too! Aren't they great? Mine will be a little different, but I love the 9 patch quilt. Josh loves soft things; in fact, he would rather have hand-me-downs that are broken-in and soft than brand new "scratchy" clothes. So, I am going to make him a flannel quilt. At a local fabric store all of the flannel is on sale until Nov. 1st, so I am hoping to get all of my supplies before then. I am trying to get him to take an hour or so to go with me to the fabric store and pick out some material that he likes; I especially want his help on the fabric for the front.

When I told him that I really wanted him to help me pick out the fabric he said that he would love anything that I chose. I told him that I didn't want him to hate the print that I chose and he said that whatever I chose he would love and would proudly show his friends what his mom had made for him. He was very sweet, but I still wonder if he was just trying to get out of going to a fabric store. Oh well, I will do as my brother tells me and "Take what is given me", which was the sweetness of his words....but I'm still going to try to take him along! ;-)