In case you're wondering why I named my blog "Quilt Pieces", I like quilts. Since high school, I have appreciated the beauty of quilts. My aunt's mother-in law, Mrs. Culbreath, was a quilter. She created beautiful quilts! It seems like each Christmas, one of her family members got a quilt. Since I wasn't actually her "family", I didn't have much hope of getting one. It didn't matter that she had been in my life since I was born or that we had attended many of the same family events - I wasn't "blood" family!
Year after year, I continued to admire her creations! I would talk to her about the quilt blocks and what the patterns were called. I so wanted a quilt. One year, after getting up my nerve, I told Mrs. Culbreath that I wanted a quilt. She told me that I needed to ask my grandmother to make me one. Hmmmm! With complete honesty, I told her that my one living grandmother didn't sew much less quilt. I'm sure she had a comment, but I don't remember what it was.
Time passed and more quilts were given as "family" heirloom gifts. One Christmas, after the chaos of opening gifts at my aunt's house, Mrs. Culbreath told me to get "that trash bag that was behind the Christmas tree". I got the bag, a bulky bag and handed it to her. She told me it was for me. For me? My hands began to shake. Could it be, was it possible, would she have made me a quilt? I opened the bag and there it was a scrappy blue and brown quilt! I was speechless as I pulled it out of the bag.
Mrs. Culbreath quickly began to explain that it wasn't a particular pattern (such as log cabin, dresden plate, etc). It was made from scraps that she had around the house. I didn't care if "my" quilt had a NAME. It was mine and it was beautiful! Needless to say, she got a great big hug and and huge piece of my heart that Christmas.
I cherished my quilt. At first I was very careful with this precious gift. It's home was on the end of my bed folded neatly for me to admire and touch daily. Eventually I began to use the quilt, always being careful as if it was fragile.
Finally the quilt became my "comfort quilt". Even though it still rested folded neatly on the foot of my bed, I used it to comfort me. When I was sick, when I was tired, when my heart was broken - my "comfort quilt" covered me and made me feel better. It has moved with me from my parent's home to my first apartment to my first home with my husband. It moved one more time with me to the home where I now live. It has been used to make a pallet on the floor where both my daughters slept and played as infants and toddlers. It also has "comforted" them when they have been sick. Each winter it is now used on my bed as an extra blanket.
Even though my "comfort quilt" no longer has a place of honor at the foot of my bed, it still brings me comfort. I still like to admire it and touch it. It reminds me of Mrs. Culbreath and the events in my life (like pieces in a quilt) that have brought me to this moment in my life!
In future entries I will share these life changing events that are the quilt pieces in my Life's Quilt!
Year after year, I continued to admire her creations! I would talk to her about the quilt blocks and what the patterns were called. I so wanted a quilt. One year, after getting up my nerve, I told Mrs. Culbreath that I wanted a quilt. She told me that I needed to ask my grandmother to make me one. Hmmmm! With complete honesty, I told her that my one living grandmother didn't sew much less quilt. I'm sure she had a comment, but I don't remember what it was.
Time passed and more quilts were given as "family" heirloom gifts. One Christmas, after the chaos of opening gifts at my aunt's house, Mrs. Culbreath told me to get "that trash bag that was behind the Christmas tree". I got the bag, a bulky bag and handed it to her. She told me it was for me. For me? My hands began to shake. Could it be, was it possible, would she have made me a quilt? I opened the bag and there it was a scrappy blue and brown quilt! I was speechless as I pulled it out of the bag.
Mrs. Culbreath quickly began to explain that it wasn't a particular pattern (such as log cabin, dresden plate, etc). It was made from scraps that she had around the house. I didn't care if "my" quilt had a NAME. It was mine and it was beautiful! Needless to say, she got a great big hug and and huge piece of my heart that Christmas.
I cherished my quilt. At first I was very careful with this precious gift. It's home was on the end of my bed folded neatly for me to admire and touch daily. Eventually I began to use the quilt, always being careful as if it was fragile.
Finally the quilt became my "comfort quilt". Even though it still rested folded neatly on the foot of my bed, I used it to comfort me. When I was sick, when I was tired, when my heart was broken - my "comfort quilt" covered me and made me feel better. It has moved with me from my parent's home to my first apartment to my first home with my husband. It moved one more time with me to the home where I now live. It has been used to make a pallet on the floor where both my daughters slept and played as infants and toddlers. It also has "comforted" them when they have been sick. Each winter it is now used on my bed as an extra blanket.
Even though my "comfort quilt" no longer has a place of honor at the foot of my bed, it still brings me comfort. I still like to admire it and touch it. It reminds me of Mrs. Culbreath and the events in my life (like pieces in a quilt) that have brought me to this moment in my life!
In future entries I will share these life changing events that are the quilt pieces in my Life's Quilt!
