Have you ever been given a gift that took many years to make, that you knew about from the first day the handwork had begun?
Our Mother, AKA "Ask Mom" started a quilt years ago. I believe she started it somewhere around 1999. It was for a quilt shop sample of a Block of the Month program for a local shop that we helped and taught classes at. Before she got very far making it, the owner decided to close the shop and gave Mom the rest of the fabric to complete the quilt because she knew Mom was going to eventually give the quilt to me. I can't remember for sure, but I think our Mother was still working full time as a Legal Secretary, so she worked on it when she had time, knowing speed wasn't necessary since the shop closed. Every so often I would see her working on it, and she just loved doing hand applique. Finally the quilt was all put together and ready to quilt. mom was a wonderful hand quilter, and made the most beautiful stitches. I knew it would take her some time to get it completed, but I wasn't in a hurry. As Mom's eyes began to get worse with Macular Degeneration, I watched her progress when she would bring it out to quilt on, and she seemed a little more in a hurry to finish it. She was worried about her stitches.
The day finally came when the quilting was complete, and ready to bind. mom was having trouble sewing straight lines on her machine, so she asked if I could sew it on for her so she could get to the hand stitching. When it was done, I told her she should hang on to it for a while to enjoy in her home. That many years working on it, I knew she really grew to love the quilt. My turn would come. About a week or so ago, Mom gave me the quilt. It is so beautiful. I can see where her eyes started to fail while she was quilting, but it is still the most beautiful gift, and I have the perfect spot to enjoy it for years to come in my sewing room, where I work most every day. I can't wait to show it to my Grandaughter, Henley, as she seems to love looking all around my sewing room and house at the quilts on the walls. I sewed a sleeve on the back the past couple days, and got it hung up today. I hope you enjoy the photos of our Mothers handwork. The quilt is a pattern by the late Linda Brannock.
Thank you Mom, for the most special gift.
Jeni
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