While helping Trey and Deana clear out and move items from a storage unit last week, Trey found a cross stitch that his Grandmother had done. His comment was, "What do you do with something like this? Just trash it. " Such pain and emotion in those few words. I put it with the 2 bags of fabrics and partial quilt blocks that he had saved which his mother had never finished.
The quilt blocks are from the late 80's.....polyester batting and all. It has been in storage for about 12 years and needs a good airing.
Trey asked me to finish the section that his mother had put together. Not because it is lovely, but because it is something her hands worked on. The stitches are large, and there are tucks and irregularities. So I will finish off this section----it was lap quilted by block and needs to be finished on the back and have a binding added. There are other blocks that have only been pieced. From these I will make lap quilts for each brother.
So I am putting my projects on hold for a bit. I feel this is way more important ---maybe not as much fun, but so very important---than quilting my current projects.
The first morale of this continuing quilt tale: If you are a quilter, pull out those UFOs or PIGs and complete them. If you don't like them any more, give them away or trash them. Please don't leave them for your children or family to throw out. I have a great son-in-law and my heart was in pieces seeing him want his mom's handwork, but not in this unfinished state.
The quilt blocks are from the late 80's.....polyester batting and all. It has been in storage for about 12 years and needs a good airing.
Trey asked me to finish the section that his mother had put together. Not because it is lovely, but because it is something her hands worked on. The stitches are large, and there are tucks and irregularities. So I will finish off this section----it was lap quilted by block and needs to be finished on the back and have a binding added. There are other blocks that have only been pieced. From these I will make lap quilts for each brother.
So I am putting my projects on hold for a bit. I feel this is way more important ---maybe not as much fun, but so very important---than quilting my current projects.
The first morale of this continuing quilt tale: If you are a quilter, pull out those UFOs or PIGs and complete them. If you don't like them any more, give them away or trash them. Please don't leave them for your children or family to throw out. I have a great son-in-law and my heart was in pieces seeing him want his mom's handwork, but not in this unfinished state.
Such good advice! I think getting rid of those UFO's either by completing them or donating them will give us a sense of relief too.
ReplyDeleteThat was this years resolution, and to use up my stash..........it will also be next years resolution as I still have many more to go!
ReplyDeleteI hope he keeps his grandmother's cross stitch too. The handprints are a precious connection between them.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that you are stepping in to preserve these items. They are such a link between generations.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! Finish those projects so that they can be used up with love! :o)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful thing you're doing to complete the projects so they can be used and cherished....
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you were with them and can do this, someone else may have thrown them away. It's so sad and yes, very important.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that you were there to save it all!
ReplyDeleteHow strange that he would want to save his mother's work but not his grandmother's... or maybe I misunderstand.
I have a tablecloth my grandmother was embroidering before she died. It remains in its unfinshed state - not because I can't embroider but because I don't want to finish it; I like that it's her work not mine.