My mom loved making quilts. She would spend hours piecing together tiny bits of fabric to hand sew beautiful, beautiful quilts.
She made one for us when we got married and it is my most treasured wedding gift. Each time when she found out I was expecting another baby (or that my sister-in-law was expecting) she would start planning and cutting and piecing and sewing so that when the baby was born, a quilt would be ready.
Asa, Justus and Elias…as well my brother’s oldest kids, all have special quilts from Grammy. (As a matter of fact, they each carried them as we walked into her funeral because they are such a precious part of who she was.)
In the final months before my mom died, she continued to get weaker and weaker…and I remember laying on my bed one day crying out to God. I asked him to help me to feel joy again. I had been feeling so sad for so many months as I watched my mom die…and I didn’t know how I could feel happy again. How any of us could feel happy again.
It was just a few short weeks later that we found out that we were expecting (Malachi). The news of our pregnancy gave our whole family something exciting and fun to look forward to and talk about. The joy of this news was a refreshing relief and joy in the midst of sorrow and pain.
I remember how my mom looked when I told her. We were both smiling at each other…and then we suddenly started to cry at the same time…both of us knowing that she wouldn’t live to meet this little one.
Three months later, she died.
About two months after Malachi was born…I received a box in the mail from Pat, a neighbor and friend of my mom’s. Inside the box was a quilt…with embroidered squares that I remembered watching my mom stitch years ago. The quilt was complete and beautiful. I sobbed as I looked at each beautiful stitch. I had not been expecting to receive this gift.
Pat had enclosed a note letting me know that after my mom had found out that I was going to have this baby, she had directed her to go down to her craft room and get the quilt she had started years earlier. She asked Pat to please finish it for her and give it to me after the baby was born. She also told Pat to be sure to tell me to USE the quilt…and that it was alright for the baby to spit up on it! (My mom never lost her sense of humor!!)
What a priceless gift that quilt is. All of her quilts are.
Last weekend when I was in Kansas going through my mom’s craft room…I looked through pieces and pieces of fabric she had bought to make more quilts before she got sick. I brought most of the fabric home with me. I’m not much into quilting…but someday, I’d like to make each of my boys another quilt from Grammy.
And…for Christmas this year, I’m going to make my nephew, Austin, a quilt from Grammy’s fabric. It won’t be nearly as fancy as one she would have made. I’ll only tie it and bind it, instead of piecing it and spending hours hand quilting it.
But it will be special and it will still be made with love.
And it might be stained with tears.
What a special post – and such special family heirlooms. I, too, have a few special quilts made for me by great-grandmothers. Most special of all, though, is my wedding quilt made from a woman who had a deep spiritual impact on me. She died suddenly in September, and I realized that instead of “treasuring” that quilt in my cedar chest, I needed to take it out and talk to my kids about it and really treasure it. Your mom was right – use it! I think its so special that you found old fabric your mom had saved and that your carrying on her legacy.
What a sweet story…thanks for sharing.
Oh my goodness! What a precious story! It brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing.
This post brought tears to my eyes. Both my grandmother and my mom quilt. My grandmother has always gotten mad when someone calls a “quilt” a “blanket.” She says they are VERY different things and I agree. Thank you for sharing something so close to your heart! :)
What a precious story. I’m sure the quilt you make for Austin will be a treasured one also. :-)
How precious! I have quilts that were made for me by my grandmother and great-grandmother and I love them…though they are put away. I can’t bring myself to use them because they were really the only things I have from them (they were quite emotionally distant due to family drama) and I don’t even look at them often. This made me realize that I need release from some old issues and I thank you for this beautiful post. I didn’t realize how badly I needed that…
Be blessed and be well.
What an amazing story! My mom quilts as well, so I understand how special these gifts are. Continuing on the tradition is a wonderful legacy. My best friend lost her granny last year and before she died she had started a baby quilt for her great, great grandson (my BFF’s grandson). My friend finished it, added one piece of fabric from her own stash, so her grandson would know it was from his two grannys.
I read your blog often, but have never commented before. I lost my mom while I was pregnant with my fourth child as well. She too created special blankets for each of my older daughters, and I am sad that she didn’t get to for my youngest. I have saved everything she made with her hands for us, so that I can pass them to my daughters when they have children. This post touched my heart and made me miss my mom. Thank you.
Laura – I’m new to reading your blog after seeing the article in the York newspaper. Your post this morning brought tears and memories for me. I lost my mom several years ago when my kids were young. They’ll remember her, but my sister’s children were too young, and my brothers’ children never knew her. She crocheted each grandchild an afghan, but hadn’t finished my sister’s baby’s blanket when we knew time was too short. She asked me to do it. Instead, my sister took it home and finished it after Mom had passed away. Lots of love and tears in that one.
Thanks for a very touching story.
Oh, I have tears in my eyes. What a wonderful story!
Not sure I can type through the tears, but thank you for sharing this story. I’m so glad Malachi got his Grammy quilt too, and I know how precious the quilt for Austin will be.
This made me cry! Thank you for sharing such a sweet story. I’ve heard hints from both Grandma and Great-Grandma that this first (great) grandchild that I’m carrying will receive special quilts from them. I am so blessed and surrounded by love.
I’m so glad you have that quilt for Malachi. And what a great idea to take the fabric and make one for Austin. =)
Wow, that is an amazing legacy! I hope to leave even just a small piece of the legacy that she shared with her children and grandchildren. Thank you for sharing that story.
What a beautiful post. That made me cry!
what a beautiful story to share! i can barely see to type! thank you
Oh my goodness…this is so precious.:) I’m having trouble writing this, since my eyes are full of tears.
Thanks you for sharing this,
Joyce
Austin can’t wait…no doubt that it will be his favorite!
Laura,
What a great story that you can share with Malachi! I am sure that your nephew Austin will love his quilt too!!
I can hardly see to type! What a wonderful thing for your children to be able to carry with them as a reminder of their Grandmother’s love! Thanks for sharing!
Laura,
I have to tell you that is one of the sweetest stories I’ve heard. I am still crying – I can only imagine how you must have felt. I lost my dad nearly 25 years ago and his death only drew my mother and I closer together. I can’t imagine what it will be like when I lose her too.
But what a lovely and loving gift your mom has given you and your boys.
Thank you for sharing this story with us-
Oh, I am all teary just reading this! What a wonderful story! I hope you get more into quilting so you can carry on this wonderful legacy left by your mother. Not that you need another thing to add to you busy, busy life, but oh, what a story!
Toni
Beautiful.
What a great gift! What a beautiful story and what love! I cannot imagine the sight of your babies carrying their blankies into her funeral. Gosh gee! You really know how to make us girls bawl like a baby! It is so precious that she would make sure Malachi had one too. What a great story!!! What a testimony of a Mother’s love– both your’s and her’s!
Well…I had often wondered about that. It was so sad for me that day at the funeral watching all your boys snuggling their quilts … then looking at that baby bump knowing…
…sigh. And I had thought many times how you said Asa would sleep on his made bed, but UNDER his quilt. :)
I’m soooooooo glad that you got to tell your mom…and sooooooo glad she thought fast and had that one finished up.
I have also thought many times about showing little tiny Addy to your mom.
I miss her. She was like the nicest sweetest kindest lady ever.
I love you.
What a beautiful story and how awesome that each of the kids has such a special treasure from her.
I remember staying with your family several times when we were in KS for the Hamm Bash, and that your mom almost always had a quilt on her quilting frame, and how I thought they were so beautiful and wished I knew how to create something so special. Your story made me cry – your mom was such a special lady!
That is so special.
I have a similar story where I started to crochet a blanket for my husband (fiance at the time). My Mum decided to finish it while I was at work that day and then went on the crochet a blanket for each of her grandchildren. As she was receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy at the time, her hair had started falling out. We realised later that small amounts of her hair were being accidentally crocheted into the blankets. A peculiar keepsake I know but very much treasured.
Oh Laura, That is so touching. We have quilts stitched with love. I’m so happy you do too!
My favorite bedspread is one my mom started before she died. I finished it and will use it forever. It may not be the top bedspread, but it will be always on my bed. :)
What a blessing for your children to have something from their grandma!
Now to get a drink of water to help wash this HUGE lump down my throat!
I am sitting crying. With tears. So sadly precious. What a beautiful keepsake. It is so special that you have her fabrics. And so loving that you are using it to make a quilt for your nephew. Maybe one day you will even do it like she did. Thank you for sharing your beautiful story. T~
how touching. thank you for sharing such a personal story.
I just stumbled upon your blog… and had to let you know, I could hardly read past “inside the box was a quilt…” through the tears in my eyes. Thanks for sharing.
I just found this through a link in one of your more recent posts. I’m sitting here crying thinking about my own grandmas. Thank you for sharing such a personal story; it has touched many people.