The power of a quilt

Today a project I worked on brought a friend to tears. She cried as she looked at the quilted shirts that her son had worn, that she had moved time and time again. That she knew were always waiting in the box for the promise to be fulfilled, and yet never was. Today the dream and hope became reality and what a joy it was to be part of the fulfilling of the promise.

What started a few weeks ago as a box of shirts worn and stained yet filled with meaning and memories for this family today began their journey home. As I worked on the quilt I found my excitement grow as I watched it come together and be transformed from useless shirts into two 4 x 4 quilts. Each backed with flannel, soft and cuddly yet fine for display as well. Memories flood back as the family recalls the teams, the father son time spent together.

Today I saw the power of a quilt in action. It is more than fabric and stuffing, more than thread and batting. It is memories to be made or to be recalled. A quilt can tell a story, recall special times and bring comfort as you struggle through times. The fabric can soothe and can comfort. The patterns and color can decorate and enhance.

Today my quilting flame has been fanned, by the response of my friend, by recent affirmations of the skill I have acquired, by the realization of the power of encouragement a quilt can express. What a blessing to help have been part in lifting the burden of an unmet promise, what joy awaits this Mom as she surprises her son with his past, possibly forgotten for the moment, yet how many of them will flood back with the many patches of his quilt.

A quilt- a vehicle of love, caring and encouragement. A way to tell a story, bind memories and affirm another.