Stories Behind Quilts

[mlsa3]

I love to read the stories about why a quilt was made so I thought I would share one with you.  It’s a bit long but hopefully you will enjoy it.

 

This was actually a quilted wallhanging and was one of the first  things I made and quilted.

 

I have always loved to write stories and poems so in 2001 I decided to take an online free 6 week course in fiction writing.  Each week was a different lesson.  The lessons were posted; you did the assignments; you posted your work and other writers would critique your work while you critiqued their work.  There were also two online chats that you could go to each week to discuss writing or pretty much anything you wanted to talk about.

 

About midway through the 6 weeks, one of the lessons was for us to use emotions in our writing.  In  other words, we needed to see if we could make a reader laugh, cry, get excited, etc.  I wrote a short story I called, “God’s Newest Angel.”  During the next chat one of the ladies told me I had made her cry so hard because she had just lost her two year old granddaughter about two years prior to this and it brought back all of those memories.  I felt so bad and just kept apologizing.  Joan, the lady, laughed and said, "you did exactly what you were suppose to do…the story was wonderful and brought out so many emotions in me."

 

After that we became close online friends.  After that six week course, we became volunteers for the school that sponsored that free course.  Joan and I both studied writing in our free time at home.  We taught classes and Joan actually developed a very popular class in how to create different worlds (she wrote sci-fi and fantasy while I wrote inspirational short stories).  We did this for the next 10 years or so.  We spent so much time together online we just became the best of friends. I even taught her granddaughter in one of my classes.   (In case you are wondering, yes, my wife knew about Joan and knew there was no hanky panky going on)

 

I decided one year to make her a Christmas present and send to her….she lived in Florida.  So I made a “Friendship Star Wallhanging.” On the wallhanging, I embroidered the names of her characters she had used in her stories.  She loved it.  (For a beginner I thought it turned out pretty good)

 

As I stated this went on for almost 10 years…then a few years ago her granddaughter emailed me that Joan had passed away from a heart attack.  The doctors had told her she only had a few months to live but she never told me that.  To say her passing left a void in my life would be an understatement.  Even though we never met, we never talked on a phone, she was a true friend and I miss her even today.

 

I continued teaching for the writing university for a couple of years after that but it wasn’t the same so I finally quit a couple of years ago.

So this little wallhanging I made has a lot of sentimental value to me.  Wish I had it back.

 

 

 

David

[T Row Studio]

David you are still writing with emotion. Thank-you for the story. Yes I am Crying a tear hearing your sorry Thank-you

[Bliss Quilter]

Sorry for your lose; hope her granddaughter gets the Wall Hanging back to you.  Keep writing with emotion.

[RitaR]

Not far from us a Quilt Shop Lady just lost her 4 year old grandaughter who needed a new heart.

 

Your story is emotional, and made me cry and think of Carol's granddaughter. 

Sadness in both incidents.

Thanks for sharing.

 

Rita

[RoseCity Quilter]

Thank you for sharing! A very touching story....

[WW Quilter]

I love your stories, David. Thanks for sharing!

[Quilting Grammy]

David,

I do a program for work that is "Every Quilt has a Story"  I talk about quilting in the Ozarks and the history of quilting and why it is important to know the story of a quilt.  Loved your story.