Last year I was flying home from Houston and my seat partner happened to be a quilter!  I love that when it happens.  We had such a delightful conversation and I learned she was a hand quilter.  That is such a great art and needs to be passed along. Not something I would do, but I admire that beautiful work.

     As the conversation continued, we shared quilts we had made and what I had quilted and she shared a story that just broke my heart.  She made a Double Wedding Ring for her MIL.  Keep in mind this was hand sewn and hand quilted.  Later that summer they went on a picnic and the MIL brought the precious quilt for her picnic blanket!  I was appalled let alone what my new found friend felt.

     I expressed my horror and she hers.  Then we discussed how when we make a quilt there is so much of ourselves poured into a quilt.  Each one has a piece of us.  We spend hours working on it and they become like a part of our family and a piece of our heart.  Even as we quilt the patterns in our family's and customer's quilts, a piece of who we are goes in.

     Later that year I made and quilted quilts for my son and my two step children.  As I made them, I thought about them and my love for them and that same love poured out into the quilts.  Do you know what I mean?  As I quilted them I thought of how they would feel about getting homemade quilts for Christmas.  I felt so much joy to be able to give each of them a valued treasure to remember me by.

     Russ' daughter has made quilts so I knew they would be very excited as she knew what it was like.  Of course, that is exactly what it was when they came for Christmas day.  We had to give them just their top as I ran into problems and my SD had done the same with us with wall hanging before; and sure enough there were oohhs and awws.  I have quilted quite a few  quilts for my SD's other side of thefamily,. so she was very excited of how "the life" would be breathed into the quilt when it was finished.

    My son's wife paints and sculptures so I knew she would understand the feelings that go with giving our "art" away.  When they opened their quilt, she was so excited she cried.  She said she had wanted to ask for one but knew what it took to paint a picture and knew the time it must take to make a quilt.  My son was right along with her with teary eyes.  Then she disappeared.  I hoped she was OK.  In a few minutes she called from upstairs that we needed to come quick and look.  We went up and there it was on their bed and she was standing there with tears running down her face and saying "Isn't it just beautiful?  I just never imagined how beautiful they are!"  We were so humbled by her graciousness in receiving this gift.

     We had to mail Russ' son his quilt.  Christmas day they called and thanked us for the quilt.  They didn't know what they would do with it since it didn't go in the bedroom but thanked us.  I was a little taken back since it was their gift it could be used anywhere or even on a quilt rack.  A few days latter they called and Russ' son said he was using it on the couch to cover up with when he got home.  I don't know exactly what I expected but honestly I was in a bit of shock.  It was a queen size so quite a large cover up.  I counseled myself again that it was their gift and I had to realize that they probably didn't understand the value of a hand made quilt.

     Then there it was, my thoughts flew to my friend on the airplane.  I must have felt just as she felt.  Hours and hours of cutting (by my dear husband),  piecing and quilting and it was a throw on the couch, not a family heirloom.

     It hit me then that not everyone understands the process of making a quilt.  So they don't know of the hours.  My SDIL didn't even own a sewing machine, so she hadn't ever had the experience of making something from the very scratch for someone.  I then knew that whenever we make a gift, we have to understand that the receiver might not begin to understand what went into that gift. But it is theirs now and they have the privledge of using it how they wish.  That quilt will still have a piece of my heart and they will have my love and the quilt will wrap my family on cold nights and maybe, just maybe they think of us as the cuddle under that quilt!