The Precious Patchwork Called Life

I celebrate the art of quilting.  This is what this blog is about – quilts, quilting, making the art better and preserving it for the future.  But for right now, I don’t want to talk about quilts.  I want to talk about people.

I have never sold a quilt.  I have made plenty, though.  Some of these are put back for my children and the grand darlings.  Some I give away to local cancer patients, kindergarten kids, and the scouts.  To sell a quilt would hurt my heart.  I pour not only my time and resources into a quilt, but pray over it and the person who will receive it.  It’s as much a ministry as standing behind a pulpit.

The week prior to my guild’s show, my aunt and cousin came up from South Carolina.  The cousin that came was Kemp.  You may remember me writing about him.  He had cancer and I made him a red, white, and blue Disappearing Nine Patch for him to take with him during his chemo treatments.

He’s well now.  He still has to go for maintenance treatments, but he is cancer-free.  That weekend was the first time in a zillion years that my kids, my grand kids, my mother, my aunt, my daughter-in-love and son in-love had gotten together.  For some, it was the very first time they had met.

This folks.  This is what life is about.  Laughter and love and family and the way it is all stitched together in that precious patchwork gift called life.

 

Besides the show (which went of fine, thanks…pictures to come as soon as WordPress will let me load), this week also marked a time of good-byes in my life.  See this little group here?

This is my tribe.  These are my sisters in every way but blood and shared DNA.  This is the group that decided to form High Point Quilt Guild.  This is the Tuesday Night and Sew.  And we’re losing two very important members.

 

Sarah is our youngest member, the daughter of Karen.  Sarah is primarily a hand-piecer and a hand-quilter.  Her mother taught her.  And she is moving to Columbia University in a few weeks to work with the graduate students.  She is inspiring.  One of my greatest fears is that we will lose the next generation as quilters.  She gives me hope that my fears are unfounded.

 

The other person we will lose is my partner-in-crime, Shelle.  We have gotten into more trouble together than I will ever admit.  Quilt shop trips, Pigeon Forge Quilt Fest, Guild Meetings…she, Janet, and I have always been there together.  She has been a force to be reckoned with in the guild and has helped me tremendously with my long arm.  If I had screwed something up royally, I could always hear her voice in my head “Don’t worry about that, honey.  It will quilt out.”

 

I’m going to miss that.

 

She’s moving back to Minnesota.  Her children and grandchildren are in that area and I certainly cannot blame her for wanting to get back home to family.

 

I will miss both of these ladies tremendously and right now I  am exceedingly thankful for Skype, texting, cell phones, airplanes, and Amtrak. Distance cannot break the Sisterhood of Stitches.

 

So right now, I am thankful the show went so well (pictures to come, I promise).  And I am sad that two of my friends won’t be so near-by anymore.  But more than anything, I am grateful for quilters and the quilts they make and the love and friendships that stitch us all together in this crazy quilt called life.

 

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Sam