Two Peas in a Pod

I'm a year late reporting on this quilt which was made for my in-laws for Christmas 2008. My husband and I visit them every summer in New England (we live in NC) and that previous summer my mother in law, Mary Alyce, pulled out a piece of fabric she had been saving. We were discussing quilting and she said she'd saved this piece from a baby shower because she thought it would make a very cute quilt. The bright yellow fabric had little green peapods in it with babies faces in them. As soon as she gave it to me I knew what I was going to do with it. Strange as it may seem I knew that I would make a quilt for them--my senior in-laws! They are a wonderful, active devoted couple who are exactly like--Two Peas in a Pod--thus the name of the quilt. They have traditional taste so I did a traditional block pattern and filled it with fabrics that remind me of them. They own a little hobby farm with beautiful gardens and lots of bird feeders. The quilt is loaded with florals and surrounded by a rose pattern. When I mailed the quilt to them they were thrilled but did not realize there was a letter with the quilt until they went to throw the box out. When they pulled the tissue paper out they realized the letter was there! Yikes. Lesson learned on my part. We almost lost the story on this one!

Sue's Pansy Quilt

I made this pansy quilt for Sue Walker a dear friend of the family. Sue is a nurse and used to care for our son Dan who had special needs. In the spring when she would come to our house we would always have pansies planted and she would comment on how much she loved them and how she thought they were the happiest flowers because they almost seemed to be smiling. I remember fondly these conversations with her and the love and care she gave our son. So I had to make her a pansy quilt! When I started the quilt, my son Dan would help me push the pedal with his hand but he sadly passed away in 2003 and I did not pick the quilt up for a long time. I finally finished it just last year and Sue was thrilled with it. This is what I call a "personal" sized quilt. It's meant for just one person to cuddle up in, it's meant to be used and enjoyed and not displayed on a bed. I love the colors and the happy faces of the pansies and every time I see pictures of it I think of Sue and Dan.

Katie Mae's Quilt

This is by far the most ambitious quilt undertaking I've done to date. When my sister Katie Mae was diagnosed with colon cancer in November of 2006, no one really knew what to do for her. It was my first understanding about how healing a quilt could be. It did not cure her of her illness and she lost her battle with cancer in May of 2009. But when I asked those who loved her to contribute pieces of fabric that reminded them of her and write a letter to her explaining their choice I never imagined the outpouring of love or the immense size of the quilt that would need to be made from these contributions. Everyday I received a box in the mail was like Christmas. I learned so much about my sister making this quilt for her and in the end the quilt told her story and gave her a daily reminder of how many people loved her. It surrounded her with that love when she wrapped she, her husband and children in it and brought back so many memories for all of us. The quilt also healed me as I found a way to do something in the most dire of situations. I could not have made the quilt without the incredible help of my aunt Kathy Gruber of Maryland and members of her Quilter's Guild who helped take the scraps and make three small quilts for my sister's children. I am forever grateful to all of them.

My Quilts

When I took my first quilting class the instructor told us the most important thing to do with your quilt is sign it and better yet to tell it's story. Why was it made, what was it made with, who was it made for and how should it be taken care of. Since quilts in later years end up as heirlooms she made a point that generations to come will want to know the story when they come across the quilt. For me naming quilts and telling their stories is easy. I could make a quilt for almost anyone I know because I am so intrigued with people's stories that I tend to be able to pinpoint something special about them that gives me a creative spark. So as you look at each of my quilts you will know it's story.