in stitches

I was thinking today it was about time for me to make Katie a quilt. I learned to quilt shortly after I got married. I took an adult learning class at the local high school and ended up loving it. The instructor promised we'd all finish a four block wall hanging by the end of the class. I actually finished a queen sized quilt during the 8 week course. Now I'm not bragging. My quilt is FULL of mistakes and would never be considered a work of art. But I love it so much. When I'm sick or feeling down I like to wrap myself up in it and hibernate. It's full of bright beautiful colors and the traditional pattern is lively. It never fails to give me a boost when I need it.
I've made several more since then. My Mom and I made one together for my brother's son. It was a baby quilt and went together so quickly. It's so satisfying to take these little scraps of fabric and with a little thread create something so useful. My nephew, who's almost nine, came up this summer and I noticed he had his little quilt wrapped around him in the car when they were leaving. I'm such a dork because I kind of teared up a bit knowing he still cherishes that simple little quilt we made him. I made my sister a quilt next. It seemed to take forever. I tried to be a bit more exacting and actually did blocks over because they weren't good enough. When I finished I had a basket full of mistake ridden blocks...the ones that didn't make the cut. I couldn't bear to throw them away even if they weren't all that good so I sewed them up into a quilt and threw it into our spare blanket stash. This humble quilt, made from leftovers, is my kids favorite. When they're sick, that's the quilt they want. When they camp out in the living room or make up a bed on the couch on a rainy day that's the quilt they choose. I asked Sam why he loves it so much and he said the colors are happy. Teresa told me she loves the flowers. Again, here I am being dorky, but I have beautiful quilts I purchased in the same basket and it touches something in me that they choose the one I made.

Of course, I made Sam a quilt. I started it when he was a newborn. I didn't finish it until he was three. My start to finish time definitely suffered after having children. Again, it's nothing a true quilter would brag about, but just seeing it brings me back to the days of being a brand new mom and that there is priceless.

Sam sleeps beneath it as soon as the nights get chilly. Teresa has one too. I didn't start her's until she was nearly three and I just finished it this past January. I remember working on it one day just after she turned five and as she sat with me, rubbing the fabric between her fingers, she said forlornly "someday...someday I'll get to use it." She loves her quilt. She helped me pick out the dozen plus flannel fabrics that went into it and boy oh boy is it ever loud. It's full of polka dots, fairies, princesses, flowers, rainbows and it screams girl. I adore that I can look at it and see who Teresa is because what she loves is all right there.

So now I am ready to start a quilt for Katie. I want to continue the star motif I have in both Sam's and Teresa's. Why stars? Because...I tell the kids I wished upon a star for them and they are my wishes come true. But I don't want to do one the same as either Sam's or Teresa's so I have a little research to do. Since it was so much fun letting Teresa in on the process of her quilt I know I'll be taking Kate to the fabric store with me to choose fabrics too. This will be the perfect winter project. I'll be sure to take pictures and post them to document it's progress. I just hope you're in the for long haul...because when I say winter's project, I don't just meant this winter.