if i could wrap all of those i love in a quilt :: my mom

I have been working on a quilt the past couple of months and I recently realized that I forgot to do a blog post after I gave my mom a quilt this past Christmas. Oops! This is a little late.

I had planned on making my mom a quilt for quite some time. She is after all, the person I credit with any sewing ability I possess. As a child, she taught me how to sew. I will always remember is that she took the time to be patient with me in learning this skill, which is not an easy thing to do with a child. This has impacted my life in major ways as it has been a necessary creative outlet for me. She also is the person that I credit with giving me my first quilt, and even if it was one that she picked out for herself and purchased at Walmart, somehow it made it into the pile of bedding that I took to college, and the more I washed and dried it, the more it became my favorite blanket.

Last fall I realized that I didn't have any quilts already in process and the timing was right for making her one to give as a Christmas gift. The pattern I used is Red & Cream Stars #107 by Fig Tree Quilts, and is a lap sized quilt measuring 58"x70". I really like the traditional look of this pattern; my favorite part being how the star points extend into the corners of the quilt border. I picked the mint green fabric because I know it has always been a favorite color of hers (no coincidence that her Prius matches). I liked the contrast of the mint green with the salmony-orange and as always I love to use Kona white to lighten. The back of the quilt is a plain gray flat sheet, and is quilted with simple and straight grid lines. I love how the binding appears invisible as it coordinates with the border on the front, however provides a sharp contrast with the gray backing on the reverse side.

Here she is using her quilt and she asked me to add a comment:
"This quilt is one of my life blessings.
So blessed by Amy's talent and creativity.
I pray for her and her family each time I lay under this
beautiful quilt Amy created especially for me."

On to the next quilt! You may not believe this but after 20 years (oh God can that be right?!) mine is pretty torn and worn. So, it's for...me!

::
amy

happy birthday dad :: a letter he wrote me

This year as we stumbled to get the Christmas decorations down from the attic we realized that after 10 years in one house...we have collected a lot of junk that is taking up space for no reason. So after we took the decorations back up, it was time to get organized. I came across my save boxes - four large rubbermaid totes - packed with things from my birth through college years. We hauled the boxes down to the dining room table and I began the sorting process. I had saved elementary school artwork and projects, scrapbooks and don't forget my sticker collection, college art portfolios, and just about every card or letter anyone had ever given me.

What I have now, after sorting through all of my dad's things, is perspective. This perspective, however morbid it may seem, forced me to think about how I would feel about someone else having to dig through all my junk after I die. I started sorting and throwing the majority of it away, and at the end of the day I was emotionally spent. I hadn't really given much thought to what it was going to be like for those memories to surface again; childhood memories tied to the home I lived in for two decades of my life, the awkward adolescence and high school years, memories from summer camp where Dan and I met, my parents divorce, my amazing and carefree college experience at Iowa, the passing of my grandparents - everything and every decision of course compounded by the unexpected passing of my dad five years ago now. 

I saved my most favorite things, keeping in mind that whatever I decided to keep had to make me happy, or might be fun to show my kids when they are older. Anything not fitting that criteria went in the trash. I ended up condensing things down to 1 rubbermaid container. As exhausted as I was at the end of it, in many ways it felt like a giant weight had been lifted from my shoulders. It felt good to let go.

I read every card and letter, hoping to find something amazing. I did. If you have been reading letters I have written to my dad (here and here) you will probably understand how much finding this means to me. This letter he wrote me, something I haven't read since he gave it to me nearly 16 years ago, is still very relative today. It's something that he not only wished for me, but for all of those he loved.

Graduation day U of Iowa '00

Dad's Westmar College graduation photo '69

I feel like your pants are a little short, college boy.

He was just the best in every way. I love you dad. Happy birthday!

:: amy

ps. All this college talk has me thinking. I was good at painting. I should do that again.