This meaningful quilt has a long history, one that I only know the ending of. Sometime in 2018 my mom gave me a bag that contained a very long quilt top - perhaps destined to be a quilt for a twin bed. It was made by someone on my dad’s side of the family. The seam allowances on the back were anywhere from 1/8” to over 1/2” (standard is 1/4”); there were more thread colors and types than I could count. Each strip of fabric was individually pieced with a mix of all sorts of prints likely none still in production today. Some fabrics only appeared in one strip throughout the whole quilt! My mom told me I was the only person who could finish it. I was overwhelmed. Where do I even begin?? Will I even do it justice??

After a year or so of postponing, I finally took out my seam ripper and moved a few rows on the bottom to the right side in order to create a more appropriately sized quilt. I then went to a local quilt shop and chatted for a while with one of the quilters there about what fabric I should use for the backing. I landed on a simple navy color with a thin white grid - a classic design that melded well with the busy front. To modernize the quilt, and not conflict with all the straight (…“straight”) lines across the front and back, a large curved “X” spreads from corner to corner. A classic navy binding borders the quilt. Of course I hand quilted the binding, spending a few final intimate hours with this special quilt.

I am overjoyed with the end result: the construction of a family heirloom, taking three generations to complete. This quilt now resides at the end of my parents’ bed.