Before you run for your sunglasses and say, “Whoa, what was she thinking?”, I’d like to tell you the story of this quilt. When my Mom died, the only piece of her clothing I saved was a dress that reminded me of her so much I could not bear to let it go. She had bought it one Christmas at her favorite store, Gump’s, and I remember how pleased she was to find it on sale. This dress is the quintessential Mom dress, incorporating her two favorite colors, yellow and peacock blue. I spend hours and hours trying to figure out what to do with the fabric in this dress. I knew it would become a quilt, and as I took the dress apart, I marveled at the workmanship that had gone into its making. Much of it was finished by hand and the stitching was exquisite. But the quilt’s pattern? The accompanying colors? I had not a clue. So I started shopping for peacock and aqua fat quarters with great success, and settled on the star pattern for the blocks. Mom was a star in her own right, beloved and well-known, a wonderful role model and as such, a difficult act to follow. The background fabric was harder to find, but finally I compromised on the yellow you now see. I also wanted another color, unrelated to those in the dress, to both make the blues pop and the yellow calm down. I chose apricot, my favorite color. To me, these colors dance off one another, somehow melding into a combination that is uniquely ours, Mom’s and mine. Each color, each stitch, each patch of each block tells of the love Mom and I shared. As I sewed, I remembered our triumphs, our pricked fingers, and our clashing of colors that finally came together in a harmonious whole. This is the story of my Mother’s quilt, stitched with eternal love, endless memories, and not a few tears. For you, Mom. I miss you. You weren’t ever supposed to die.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 17:39:56 +0000
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