Friendship quilts really move me. They commemorate events with joy, love or comfort via the hands of many caring people. Such was the case with this quilt, finished in a hurry for a grieving family. It was not lost on me that I was listening to the Sept. 11 ten-year-anniversary tributes on NPR as I finished quilting this project.
Sarah, who coordinated and assembled the quilt blocks sent by the family's friends, asked that the names of all the family members, including the child they lost, be randomly quilted into a pattern of butterflies. The all-over quilting pattern looked like butterflies, but the actual name of the design is Angel Wings by Jodi Beamish for Willowleaf Studio.
And while not everyone shares a faith that includes angels, I have to say that the butterly/angel shapes I was stitching into the top to hold the layers together seemed to trigger a feeling of hope and acceptance in me as I made the last stitch.
Sarah added the binding, made the backing and is blogging about it, but she pieced a message on the back that was perfect:
your quilting could not have been more perfect! thank you so very much for the stitching and the beautiful words. :)
Posted by: cathygaubert | 10/03/2011 at 07:15 PM
It was an honor.
Posted by: Grammie | 10/03/2011 at 07:25 PM
Thank you thank you thank you. xoxoxo
Posted by: Chris Carleton | 11/16/2011 at 10:48 AM
Having lost two children myself, I can say that receiving something like this would have meant a world and a half. I love that the child's name is intertwined with all the other family members, finding a place along with everyone else. Someone is going to weep over that quilt, and then it will be a source of comfort and reminder of community to them for the rest of their life. What an amazing thing.
Posted by: Kirstin | 11/19/2011 at 03:19 PM
So kind of you to share this comment. I know it will mean as much to all the people who participated as it meant to the family.
Posted by: Grammie | 11/19/2011 at 05:59 PM
Hello
Your website is really good, I told my girlfriend to take a look at it,
But there is a problem, none of us can see the images, maybe there is a problem with our browser ? I'm using internet explorer
Thanks,
Have a nice day
Emilie
Posted by: épilation pas chère paris | 05/11/2012 at 08:23 AM