I Love Quilts

Rob's Eagle Quilt. I made this with a finger on my left hand still bandaged from a table saw accident. I prayed so hard fo help to be able to complete this for him. The finger was not so stiff and didn't hurt very much (campared to what I had been going through for the last few weeks). As his Eagle court was taking place, it started to hurt and by the next morning it was throbbing terribly and was back to where it had been in the healing process. A tender mercy? I think so, he had watched me do things like this for years and knew how much work went into them. He was also the one that got to drive me to the emergency room the day of the accident., he knew how bad the damage had been. The surprise on his face was priceless and made it worth it.

The other day I was folding a quilt of Rob's and I realized that I really love quilts. As I was thinking about it and wondering why, I remembered that when I was growing up, my mom had a very special one that all of us kids loved. It was in an appliqued quilt that Grandma Annie (mom's mother) had made. She had her friends and relatives make flowers made from their own scraps with a yellow center with their names, etc. hand embroidered in it. When we were sick, but not throwing up, mom would let us use it. I loved reading all the names, thinking about them, and closely examining the fabrics they chose. I knew some of these women but others I didn't. This made me feel closer to the grandmother I never knew here on earth.

Since growing up, I have had several people meet me and ask are you by any chance ..... I learned to say "descended from Annie Jellinghausen? I'm her granddaughter." They would be so surprised, as I was at first. Evidently, I laugh just like Grandma did, which is funny, Mom hated the way I cackled ( just like mom did as well, hee hee!) I've been told that I have the same smile and mannerisms. My nice side is a lot like her too. (We won't the nasty side that wears me out daily doing battle.) In Thatcher, our next door neighbors were a good friends and neighbors of my grandparents. I have wished that I had been wise enough to record them telling me about Grandma and Grandpa. He lived until I was 16 and missed him terribly after he had to move to a care home, after just a few months in our home, I had become very attached to him and his company. Being young, I never dreamed I would forget most of what they told me.

Anyway, back to quilts! I loved to roll up into that quilt. I felt safe and warm. I felt that I could feel the love that Grandma had for me, I was sure that she did. Now when I want to share love with some one, I feel the urge to make a quilt that they can curl up under, snuggle down into, and remember how much I love them. I came from two families of major huggers and kissers. I loved it and feel sad when it makes new family members uncomfortable. This is one way I can express to them that they are special .

I'll gather pics of some of the quilts I have made over the next couple of days and post them. I never seem to do the same thing twice. That would be way too easy, wouldn't it? Sadly, Rob's eagle quilt is the last and probably remain the last one that is hand quilted. I blew out the joints at the base of my thumbs , four weddings in a year and half. I loved doing the work those special girls, but now have had to learned to machine quilt, still trying to get decent and then good at it.

Quilt that I put together for the cast of "Grease" to sign for Brianna. The small pic is of the whole crew involved that was in the middle of the quilt. It was nice to snoop and see how much these kids appreciate her and all that she has and continues to do for them and the choir program at their high school. It was really fun to sneak around behind her back talking to those who love and admire her. She actually called me when I was at Alphagraphics (east side of town) having the large center picture being transfered on it! It was funny trying to not giggle at with her brother's mother-in-law who had met me there with pictures for the quilt.