~A Maria-kind-of-day~: Scott's Quilts

My nephew Scott.....

I have a nephew...and I say “have”, in the present tense, because even though he is in a different dimension, he will always be present in our lives, and he will always be my nephew. Scott was born on February 3, 1993 and died on May 16, 2010. He died an untimely death while texting and driving. Let this be a wake up call for all of us. Each time I reach for the phone while behind the wheel, and shouldn't, (still do that sometimes) I think of Scott and the price he paid. I don't want his passing to be in vain.

I have watched his family go through the survival motions after his tragic death and have silently wept, wondering what can one possibly do to ease their pain. There is nothing ... just silent prayers ...

Scott was a teenager, an avid guitar player, a camp counselor, a builder of things, a really gifted guy. He was tall and handsome with curly locks of light auburn hair. He has a lovely sister, Sarah, who misses him more than it is possible to explain. His parents feel the loss in every breath they take, in everything they do, see or experience. And still, there is nothing one can say to minimize their grief.

I was fortunate one day to receive an email from Scott's Mother, my sister in law. She had heard about memory quilts. Being in the sewing industry, did I know of anyone that could make her one, she asked ... talk to me, I answered ... I would be honored to do it. Send me Scott's t-shirts. Time passed by ... she was having trouble deciding which ones to choose. Don't do that, I said, let me take care of the selection, send them all to me.

A few weeks later, a huge box of t-shirts arrived. And I mean HUGE! I felt Scott's presence, his scent, his energy, his being around the house. I decided that I would use a piece of each shirt. My sister in law had asked for “a” quilt, but there was material to make more. Enough to make one for Mom, one for Dad, one for sister and one for grandpa. It took a little longer than expected, since I ended making 4 large ones. I ordered flannel with musical instruments and other designs that depicted Scott's interests, for the backing. I organized the prints in a way that they would look attractive. Saved the interesting labels and anything extra special, and applied it to the blocks. Made little pockets and attached a heart held by a ribbon to be hidden inside. Something to play with, a little surprise. A pocket to put their sadness in when needed....

Something happens with loving projects of this kind. Another sister in law and her prayer group sent money to help with the cost of materials, they wanted to be a part of the process. At this point one just let creativity show the way and wonderful things result. After selecting a design from each of the dozens of Scott's t-shirts, cutting the binding, the batting, making sure the colors complemented each other and that they were pleasing to the eye, it was time to quilt. Husband Joe came to the rescue. We carry long arm quilters at our store which we could use. So, after work one evening, we decided how they were going to be quilted. I designed and sewed, he quilted and pressed. I have made quilts before, but these quilts were different. These quilts were to honor someone and, in addition, I had been chosen to do this very important job. And it was the little details that I enjoyed the most, the little surprises, the tiny pockets,the little verses embroidered on some squares, the unexpected. Each stitch was placed with love and respect.

My sister in law had asked for one quilt...I was excited to surprise her with four.....four quilts in which they could envelop themselves in and feel the love of their son, brother and grandchild.

It was one of those blessed moments in my life, in which I could use my talents and expertise to make something memorable, something special.

The quilts were so well received, the comments so positive, I have decided to add this service to our store.

Each time I think of Scott, my memories return to the summers when we had grand family reunions in our home. And how the cousins gathered and resumed their relationship as if they had just seen each other the day before, even though they lived states and countries apart. They would gather and do skits, play music, jump on the trampoline and just laugh.....