Some Very Special Quilts

A first of it's kind. Amy from Park City Girl is hosting this one of a kind Blogger's Quilt Festival. What a great response she is having. She has over 350 participating so far. The festival will be running until the 24th of April. Check it out to participate. In honor of the quilt festival I have chosen to tell you about some very special quilts I hold dear to my heart. After my Dad passed away in December of 2003 I gathered up his snap down western shirts and his jeans to make my Mom a special remembrance quilt using his clothing. It took me almost 2 years to get the courage up to start cutting away at the precious memories of Dad. After I got over the hurdle of the first cut, I realized we would still have a visual reminder of such a great guy. We would be able to look at it at all times and think of him and his fun loving ways. Well one thing led to another and I was on a quest to not only get one done for my Mom but one for my brothers and sisters as well. Plus I did one for myself. I did this all for a surprise. I worked fast and furious from the end of October to December, making 7 quilts total. Christmas 2005 is one I'll never forget. I had them open their gifts all together at our family Christmas party. I will forever cherish the looks they had on their faces. A bittersweet Christmas present, they were all just a little teary eyed. I had sewn one of the shirt pockets on the back of each quilt. Inside the pocket I tucked a little note along with our last family picture we had taken right before Dad's passing. Little did we know this would be our last Christmas to spend with Mom before her passing in October, 2006. I just wish Mom could of enjoyed her quilt a little bit longer. I know she was thrilled with it by the way she bragged about it to all her friends and family. I now have two of these quilts in my possession, the one I got back from my Mom's house hangs in our home in St. George for all to enjoy there. It's going on 3 years since Mom's passing and once again I find myself in the difficult situation of making the first initial cut in all her duster's (or housecoats) that she was once known for. Maybe this little post is just the thing I needed to get the incentive to get something made from them. I need those sweet memories of Mom hanging around here to, just like Dad is.