Quilts

I love quilts. There is something so special about wrapping up in something that is handmade, something that gives you a glimpse into the past but also provides warmth for the present. Quilts provide a heritage; something that can be passed down to future generations to tell a story. I just love them.

My mom took up quilting several years ago so we (the members of her family) have been fortunate enough to be the recipients of her handiwork. The first quilts she made for us were pieces of various fabrics that represented something in our lives, things that we loved. There were swatches of decorative fabric but also prints that included dogs, houses, even ice cream!

She has made quilts that represent a turning point in her loved ones lives--like when my dad went down to New Orleans after Katrina for 6 weeks to help rebuild the telephone lines for work. She made him a quilt that Christmas that had the "New Orleans" star in it. Or when I moved into my first house, she made me a quilt that had swatches put together that looked like little houses. She has also made quilts for my niece and nephews that have pieces of fabric that represent things they love. She made Mike a quilt for his birthday that represents his love for the outdoors and camping. She made my sister a quilt this past Christmas that has their family sewn into it (Christy, you need to post a picture!)

She has also made quilts out of remembrance for something special--like the wedding quilt she made for us (second from the top in the picture above). A year later, she used leftover fabric from that to make a baby's quilt in remembrance of Allison and Emily. As you can see in the picture below, there are 2 pink hearts.

Then, when we found out we were pregnant with Anna Claire, she went through her fabrics and found more leftover fabric from our wedding quilt and made one for our sweet girl. This is so special because now all three quilts have the same fabric.

As part of the bedding she made for Anna Claire, she made her a quilt that included some of the fabric used in her room. She brought it with her this past week when she visited.

One thing (among many) that is special about this quilt is that it incorporates some fabric that was used in my niece, Jessica's, 16th birthday quilt. This is something special that the two girls share.

She also made this "taggie" quilt for Anna Claire to play on. I love the vintage looking fabric and the bright colors!

It takes time and money to make something so beautiful but I think there is more LOVE that is invested in than anything.