In memoriam....

I said goodbye to my Mother-in-law, Arla on September 9, 2010 and today was her funeral.  She was the best mother-in-law a person could have.  She was always happy and content.  She will be missed by everyone. 

When the minister asked for some personal details about her that could be used in his sermon today, I remembered the six quilts that she had made for each of her grandchildren back in the 80s.  I don't have pictures of them, but I could probaby get pictures of at least the three that my children own, but I did get five blocks that she had made extra from my niece's quilt. 

I don't remember her being a "quilter" persay, but she bought six "die-cut" quilt kits that she hand button hole stitched the applique pieces.  The six were a red rose, a yellow rose, a sunbonnet Sue, a pitcher and bowl, butterfly quilt and fall leaf quilt.  I have access to the yellow rose, the butterfly one and the leaf one. 

The extra blocks were the red roses. 

I set these blocks a bit  more contemporary than the block settings that she used for her quilts.

...and here is the whole quilt that I call Arla's Red Roses.

I had this machine quilted and here is a close up of one of those blocks. 

I am so glad I mentioned this to the minister because he used the fact that she quilted these quilts for her grandchildren which was very much like her life.  The top being her birth, the bottom being her death and all the stitches in between her life; and all the love that goes along with it. 

I think we as quilters show a little or a lot about ourselves each time we take a stitch and now this quilt will be even more special to me now that she is gone....gone to be with her husband and her son, but never gone from our hearts.

May she rest in peace.  I loved her so.