Aunt Edna's Quilt

     My husband and I had our first son young.  I did not work a lot of hours, but when I worked,  my husbands Great Aunt Edna  and Virginia kept Wade with his Great Great Grandma Humbert.   Still to this day Wade likes to ride out to Aunt Edna's house just to eat.   I can never thank her enough for what she did for me.  I really could go on with this but of course this is a craft blog!!!  I was soooo excited to make a quilt for her. 

     The quilt top is made entirely of Aunt Edna's son Herbie's cloths.  He passed away suddenly a few years ago.  I already made 3 quilts out of his cloths for his kids.   This quilt had every thing from seersucker type material too flannel too corduroy. 

     I used the big section of the backs and sleeves of the button down shirts too make 12 1/2 inch squares.  I then tried to match light and dark fabrics together.  I put a line down the center and sewed a quarter inch line on each side and cut the squares in half.  I then laid them out to be a big pinwheel.  Each pinwheel was about 24 inches square. 

     I cut a pair of linen pants up and used it to make a boarder.  I cut the pants into 3 inch wide strips.  I knew I did not have enough to completely box the quilt in, but thought that the quilt looked better with a strip down the center.  So I framed the outside and added kahki corner stones leftover  from one of the other quilts.  I then added corner stones to the outside middle.  I placed a plain strip down the center only one direction. 

     I did a lot of quilting on this quilt.  The first part I did I really did not like.  I tried to free motion a curve on the inner side of each triangle.  It was not the best work of mine,  but I did not want to have to pick out the stitches and mess up the quilt. 

     On one pinwheel I outlined the inner triangle and did a continuos triangle all the way in like a maze.  I loved this effect.  Each pin wheel has a different quilting design as you will see below. 

     On the next one I did a straight line starting on the big side and went all the way to  small side about every 3/4 on an in with a new line. 

     The next pinwheel I did a "V" in the triangle and did the same reduction of the line about every 3/4 of an inch.   

     The last one I did what I would maybe call a shower.  I started at the center point ant the lines went to the bottom spreading out.  

     I really like how this quilt came out.  As I was making it I knew it was the perfect quilt for Aunt Edna with the old fashion design!  I was really excited that her daughter in law Karen gave it too her for her birthday.  And even more excited that I was able to make it!!  I photographed this at the Bonneau ball field.  A place Herbie loved and spent so much time at. 

Cherished Memories Carry On After Death

     A seven years ago my husbands cousin died.   He has a very close family and my kids actually called him their uncle.  His mother kept my boys when they were babies.  My sons still stop by just to eat with her.  Herbie, was the towns dentist and my dentist even before marriage.  He was also the same age as my mother in law and they grew up like best friends. And Karen his wife taught both of my boys in 1st grade.  He loved High school sports and that's the memory that I think thousands have of him.  He use to sit on the edge of the stage in the gym at Macedonia High School and cheer the foxes on.  His love was for all sports.  He could be seen cheering the Volleyball, Softball, basketball, baseball and football team on.  He had 3 kids who were all bright and well rounded  in sports.   I worked at the High School for a period and Katie (his daughter) was one of the students there. Katie had her daddy so involved in school projects at times that I don't think he had time for himself. And during ball season he was the dad who was always there.  His family was his life.  He was the kind of man that I believe any woman would love to marry.  He loved Karen in an amazing way.  He ate lunch each weekday with his mother and family.   Our community and family lost a great man when he passed.  

   Last year, Karen asked me to make quilts for her kids.  At that time I did not feel comfortable enough to do this.  Earlier this year, she asked again.  I knew that I needed to do this for her.   Her family has done so much for mine that I needed to give back.  I spent hours and days cutting apart his cloths.  Then planning and cutting.  I learned that T-shirts were not the best material for quilts, but I could make them work, holes and all!!!   The shirts were anywhere from his high school jerseys to some from when I was in high school to those of his kids high school years.  Shirts that spanned at least 30 years.  I seperated them by sports and then size.  I then placed iron on stabilizer on each.  One of my favorites is his coaching jersey that I sewed shut and left the buttons on.  I used his jeans and khaki's to make the boarders and some collared shirts as the corner squares. Every part of the top was out of his clothes.  I backed it with University of South Carolina fabric and binded it with the same.  I quilted it with a thread that went from red to burgundy.  The colors of his high school and college teams.  Katie's was quilted with a swirl and the boys with curves. On the back,  I placed a pocket with a saying from Karen on it.  The pocket was actually a part of his khaki pants and can be buttoned,  I left the pocket open where you can put your hand inside of it. This was my favorite part.  They are not perfect but I tried my best. 

     I enjoyed every moment of making these.  I loved to quilt and most of all, love the comfort that each quilt gives a person.  I am excited to know that these quilts will bring Happiness to Tyler, Katie and Jared for years.  

     I took these photos in the area that Herbie parked at his dentist office.  I don't know why I chose there, but I know he has seen them and his spirit is in them.