The Quilt

This photo is of a rag quilt that I gave to my eldest daughter (Peanut) when she went off to college this Fall.  I did not make this quilt (because I'm not domestically gifted that way).  I took a bucket of material to an older Amish lady named Sarah, and she and her husband made it for us.


I didn't tell Peanut that I was doing this.  I didn't even wait for her to open it in front of me.  I didn't think I could watch her do it and not keep the tears from falling.  This quilt is made from her father's clothes; the flannel shirts, khaki pants and jeans he always wore. I took a bucket filled to the brim with things he used to wear, and Sarah and Jonah made this beautiful reminder for her that she can keep with her forever.

I wanted her to have something of her father's to take to school with her since she would be away from home.  If she ever feels like she needs a hug from him or wants to be close to him, this is the best I can do for her now.

This certainly cannot replace her father, but it can hopefully help her feel closer to him. He lived and breathed inside of those clothes, and now they can comfort her much in the same way they would if he were wearing them and wrapped his arms around her himself.

If you have lost someone you love, I totally think this is a beautiful way to remember them.  I had meant to take some of his shirts and wrap styrofoam ornament balls with them to make some cute flannel ball ornaments for Christmas for his family, but the first time I cut into one of his shirts, I was surprised at how it made me feel, and I just couldn't keep cutting.  I am thankful for Sarah and Jonah for helping me create this memory for her that I never would have been able to do on my own.