Quilted Together
Quilted
Together
“She obtains
wool and flax
and makes
cloth with skillful hands.”
Proverbs
31:13
Later
this month I turn forty, and as it creeps up I’ve been getting a little
nostalgic. Before I took the picture above, I spent a little time holding this
blanket – feeling its comfort again. Fingering gently the neatly hand-stitched
ecru threads. Seeing for the first time with adult eyes, some of the delicately
detailed quilting that was lovingly needled into lines and rectangles forty
years ago. This is the baby blanket my grandmother on my father’s side made for
me. She began it. Her best friend finished it.
Not
long before I was born, my grandmother was diagnosed with Gardner’s disease, a
genetically inherited stomach cancer that can now be managed through screening
and surgical intervention. In my grandmother’s time there was no early
detection, no management, and no cure. She began this quilt before I was born,
probably uncertain how long she would have to finish it. Weakened from her cancer
by the time I was born, she was able to hold me only while seated. She passed
away a few months later – the quilt unfinished. Her friend took up the
stitching for her and, with skill and loving friendship, completed it. I had the
distinct blessing of having spent a few great visits with my grandmother’s best
friend in later years. She told me a little of how they had worked together as
teachers, and spent several hours quilting together in the staff room on
breaks. By the time she was working on the quilt for me they had known each
other about twenty years. After she retired, my grandmother’s friend took up
more quilting and sewing projects, and taught quilting classes. She had sewn
Christmas stockings for me, and my three sisters - and three more quilts for
each of them also. She eventually gave quilts she had made to my son and
daughter too (who would have been great-grandkids). This best friend passed
away about two years ago, and what was said of her, as memories were written,
was what an amazing wife and mother of four she had been, what an incredible
friend she was, how much spunk she had, what a talented quilter she was, how
devoted she was to her church community, and how memorable her apple pies were
from pot lucks.
We
have a number if other treasured hand sewn items made by many other loving and skillful
hands - crocheted Christmas tree skirt, a few beautifully knit blankets, a few
beautifully hand-sewn quilts. When I think on the hours and care put into these
items I am awed, inspired, and humbled by the talent, patience, and commitment
that went into each of these “works of heart.” We have handmade gifts of soft
fiber comfort from two women’s church groups, a military wives group, a
coworker, a best friend’s mother, a few aunts, and two grandmothers, who spent precious
hours and days steadily stitching. Hands busily bustled with needles and threads,
or hooks and yarn, perhaps while watching TV, perhaps while talking with
friends, perhaps while sick, perhaps while with a church group, perhaps while
waiting in waiting rooms, perhaps while speaking with loved ones, perhaps while
staying up late, perhaps while relaxing in the back garden, perhaps while
traveling, perhaps while listening to music, perhaps while waiting for company,
perhaps while on bed-rest, perhaps while breaking in the teacher’s lounge. I
think on my own small sewing, knitting, and crocheting tools, a hopeful
presence, but only gently used as of yet, and still stuck largely on practice
patches - awaiting only a little further instruction and time. I have ample
yards of inspiration.
It
is still incredible to me how one woman’s diligent work and incredible
friendship was able to stitch up a significant part of what cancer could have
completely torn away from my family. There is a Bible verse that comes to mind
when I think of this. It is a little odd, as the spelling is not really true to
the verse, but this is what surfaces: “They who [sew] in tears shall reap
rejoicing.” (Psalm 126:5) I’m ever
thankful, Lord, for the two women who sewed, probably with tears, softly
enduring fibers of faith, friendship, and love into this blanket and many other
warm comforts for those they loved. I pray a blessing for the many I’ve known
who spend countless hours obtaining wool and flax to make cloth with skillful hands,
and who have blessed numerous homes with their soft, enduring comforts. Amen.
