My husband and I holding up the quilt at the family reunion 2013
Life has a way of captivating our attention while drawing us away from what is important and what matters most in life. This blog post is in memory of my mother’n law who passed away over a year ago. As we get closer to the Christmas holiday, a celebration that my mother’n law loved the most, I am reminded of her huge Christmas tree filled with more tinsel than once could imagine existed. I have never been fond of tinsel, yet she loved it!
But one memory that does not escape me are the visits we made leading up to Christmas, while she worked on quilt projects, whether to give as a gift that year to a lucky recipient or possibly that of an upcoming wedding or birth of a child. Our daughters were blessed in acquiring some of those precious memories, although when we experienced a fire, some were destroyed bringing tears to the girls. But memory of her love continues to linger on when we see colors of purple, small cotton patterns and similar fabrics of what she had used.
When my mother’n law passed, I was helping my father’n law go through her clothes to donate to their local church thrift shop, and in doing so I asked my father’n law if he would mind my taking some of her items to create some memories from, including that of a quilt. I took many of her denim and flannel shirts with the intent of making a crazy quilt with the denim, utilizing the flannel shirts to either back the quilt or make into a crazy quilt.
In addition to this clean-out I was gifted with a couple boxes of her remaining quilting fabric, which for those who know me and my love for fabric and sewing, can just imagine how precious a gift this was to me. This was a treasured gift that as I went through the fabrics, I was reminded of quilts she had made in the past, the hours she spent hand sewing squares together, while pouring her love into the quilt until completion. Many were recipients of this love.
When I started some quilting projects, it was always a joy to have her to gleaned tips from. Although I am an advanced seamstress, I consider myself an intermediate quilter as there are so many creative designs that others have done that simply take my breath away.
This past summer I made a quilt then later presented it to my father’n law on the anniversary of my mother’n laws passing. I incorporated a piece of denim from the shirts she wore in most all the pieces. Although my intent was to make a crazy quilt, just cutting and putting the pieces into a fabulous denim lap quilt, the creative person that I am kept thinking back of the many things that my mother’n law had done in her life. I wanted to incorporate the many things that she did that brought a tender tear and a precious smile to those who loved her. In doing so, the lap quilt turned into a full size quilt.
So let me now share with you the memories she left us (which unfortunately, as I was completing the quilt, I realized that there was so much more that I could have included). Most of the cotton fabric was from her “stash”, although I did end up having to purchase a few small fabric pieces to complete the project, such as the racing, owls, traveling and the breast cancer fabrics.
When I was going through her stash of fabric, I not only came across enough fabric to completely back the quilt, but also had enough “crazy quilt” pieces she had started to frame the edges. My father’n law shared with me that the fabric in those crazy quilt pieces were all from the quilts she herself had worked on 🙂 It brought the purpose of the quilt full circle.
My husband and I holding up the quilt at the family reunion 2013
A patchwork embroidery piece I added to one of her crazy quilt pieces.
My mother’n law loved the fall, this denim section is actually a piece from one of her shirts. The little chipmunk is an embroidered piece I made then appliquéd to the square.
The completed quilt on our own bed before packaging up to bring to my father’n law.
My husband captured a picture of me tying the quilt together.
Displayed on my Father’n laws bed.
Close-up of the pillow I made, taking a picture from stationary of the church where they were married, and printing it out on this printable fabric. Many thanks to Lisa Lindsay from St. Lukes in Farmington, ME for providing the picture and documentation that allowed me to complete this quilt project. I typed in the town, names and date of their wedding to make this an additional memorial piece.
A close-up of the cute little chipmunk that I embroidered then later appliqued to the quilt.
My mother was very patriotic and loved America. The eagle represents freedom and strength. My mother’n law was a woman of great strength.
They have always loved and owned schnauzers.
This was a fun quilt, because they loved being a part of their square dancing group. While at a church function, there group came to dance for us, and my husband was there, where I was overjoyed to dance with him when they had invited others to join them.
My mother’n law enjoyed a collection Elephants
Both Mom & Dad loved traveling to see different lighthouses, as do both my husband and I.
Books and reading are a passion that lived within her heart, my father’n laws as well as my husband, myself and daughter
This was the first square, that shares exactly what love and family are all about.
This square was made with the decorated denim blouses,including the pocket. I added the “F” for Field in purple, her favorite color, along with a green shamrock. Due to her height and red hair, my husband always called my mother’n law “Lep” which was short for leprecan.
Another design sharing their love for nature, camping, canoeing, etc.
Another lighthouse
My mother’n law was big into car racing. When she was young, she used to work in the pits, and there was one time in which the driver was hurt. So, they tucked her long red hair into the helmet and entered her as Carl. She came in 2nd place, with the judges not knowing what to do when they found out she was a girl.
She loved the speed in racing
The square showing the schnauzer, blocked with puppy prints
One thing one will always remember, is the large window in the dining room, where we would play games, enjoy meals, sit and chat, while watching the birds outside.
My mother’n law got the itch to visit the country when my husband and sister were young. The covered all but two states.
My mother and father’n law spent many hours canoeing together.
My mother’n law was fascinated with Moose. Many weekends they would travel north to see how many moose they could actually see. They have an album dedicated to the many moose they saw along the way.
My mother’n law was fascinated with Moose. Many weekends they would travel north to see how many moose they could actually see. They have an album dedicated to the many moose they saw along the way.
My mother’n law was a special needs nursery school teacher. She believed in every child she encountered. My oldest daughter follows in her steps today.
My husband taking a picture of the completed work.
The bonus in making this quilt, is that as I was trying to decide what to use for the back, I found a six yard piece in her stash that worked perfectly!!
Another favorite of my mother’n law was owls. One of the many things I remember in the home when I first started dating my husband were the little collectibles as well as the Owl Cookie Jar.
My mother’n law died quickly from breast cancer, despite annual mammograms, immediate surgery, chemo, etc. It grew back faster than they could kill it. The ribbons in this piece are from the many pink ribbons my daughter made to hand out.
A close-up of the breast cancer square. The only new fabric is the breast cancer daisy and hearts, the others were from her stash.
David (my husband) and I invested many hours working on this quilt as a special gift for my father’n law, in memory of a great lady, Carlene Ann Thurlow Field, who I was blessed to not only know, but also to have as my mother’n law. Could not have asked for a better set of parents to be my in-laws.
Last Sept 30, 2012, mom was called home to heaven, as cancer quickly took over her body. She left us with many fond memories that we will always treasure. I only wish I could incorporate all the different things she enjoyed and cherished in life into this quilt.
May those that you love provide you an inner fullness and joy as you keep them close to your heart. May you also always remember to share that you love them and be sure to hug them often.
Laura
Davina Dawn Sewing Specialties
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Laura D. Field
Reflective Tapestry of Life
Writer, Blogger, Proofreading, Editing, Freelance contributor