Debbie’s Quilt
When my dear friend Debbie was killed last summer she was working on a quilt. No surprise there, as she was just about always working on a quilt. However, this quilt was for her son and Debbie’s husband asked if Sharon, Lois, Wendy and I would finish it. We agreed, knowing it might be painful at times but also knowing that Debbie would have wanted us to do this.
Debbie had the center squares all pieced and sewn together so we just had to decide on the border and do the final quilting and binding. Lois really pushed us to get it finished, I think she felt the burden of it the most, maybe because it was “living” at her house.
I would have been happy to ignore it for a good long time as facing that quilt was just a little too much like facing my grief. But I was dragged through the process by my friends and now it’s done.
If you know any quilt folklore then you know that the red in the center of a log cabin block represents the hearth or the heart of the home. Since Debbie’s death I have realized that she was truly the heart of our little group so it seems fitting that this last quilt is a Log Cabin design.
The fabric for the piano keys border came from all of our stashes so this quilt is truly a combination of all of us — our efforts, our fabric, our time and our love.
It’s a legacy and an heirloom and completing it is one more act of friendship towards Debbie. I guess it was a gift for all of us, too.
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Beautiful Carole – the quilt and the act.
So beautiful….the quilt itself, and the meaning behind it.
The quilt itself is gorgeous Carole and your act of finishing it is so beautiful and poignant; it is a tremendous legacy for her son – I am thinking of you.
Oh, Carole, the quilt is beautiful, you and your friends are true friends, to each other and to Debbie, that’s a lot of love.
A fitting and wonderful tribute to a lost friend and friendship that will endure. I hope it brought you comfort in spite of the pain.
I’m sorry for your loss of a friend. It’s a beautiful quilt. Finishing a WIP for someone is a wonderful act of love and closure. I’m sure her son will treasure it.
It is a beautiful quilt Carole. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you all to finish it.
Absolutely beautiful!
It’s BEAUTIFUL!! I see a LOT of love in that quilt!
Absolutely beautiful. Sometimes there is incredible healing in these things that we do that are hard. I am glad you finished this for Debbie’s family and for yourselves.
Well done; it’s just lovely and so full of love. What a wonderful gift.
What a beautiful and lasting gesture of friendship by you all. These are the things in life that touch me deeply and remind me to LIVE every day-thank you for sharing Carole.
I’m seeing how that quilt not only helped heal your group a bit, but how it will go on to help Debbie’s family every day. You have such a huge heart, Carole.
Wow! That is a great tribute. She sounds like an awesome person and I’m sure she is tickled pink that you finished up her quilt.
What a perfect way to celebrate your friend and friendship. The quilt is gorgeous.
It came out beautiful Carole. And I am sure it was helpful to all who finished it to remember Debbie and another step in their grief process.
Thanks for sharing…..
Very beautiful and a tangible reminder/ memory for her family of her and the bond you all shared as friends. Despite the pain/ angst in finishing it , the cathartic ones were the side benefit in helping you all heal and walk through the grieving process. Thanks for sharing the quilt and the meaning behind it.
What a wonderful way for you pay tribute. Its a gorgeous piece.
The quilt is stunning! What an amazing tribute to Debbie and a wonderful quilt for her son to wrap himself in.
Lovely, Carole. I’m sure her family appreciated your kind efforts and it sounds like it was a comforting project for you all as you remember your friend, Debbie.
Beautiful all the way around. What a kind thing you’ve done.
good for you for doing the hard thing.
A beautiful quilt of friendship and love!
Oh Carole, it is so beautiful. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been to complete this, but what a truly amazing gift to give to Debbie’s family. Something filled with her love for her son and your love for her. A fitting tribute to your friend. Thanks for sharing!
What a beautiful quilt and a beautiful tribute to your friend. I’m sure Debbie’s family will feel the love wrapped inside it.
What a beautiful quilt and such a tribute to her memory.
A beautiful act!
Everything about that quilt is beautiful, Carole. What a wonderful thing.
What a wonderful gift for you to share with her son. It’s beautiful!
What a loving and wonderful way to keep your friend’s memory alive for her son. I hope he can wrap himself in it and feel her love surrounding him. You all did beautiful work.
What a wonderful way to honor and remember your friend! It’s beautiful.
That is a wonderful tribute to your friend. It should give you a very full heart to know how happy she would have been with this.
Beautiful and touching…I don’t know how you got through that!
I have tears running down my face. The quilt is beautiful. Bless you and your friends! It almost makes me want to quilt again.
That is so beautiful… I am so moved by your quilt.
Wonderful. I hope it brought you a little peace. (Piece?)
It’s absolutely gorgeous and how wonderful that you all mustered the strength to push through such a difficult task.
The quilt and the gesture of finishing it is astounding and touching. I’ve done a similar thing for a friend who passed, and it really is a challenge on so many levels. (Plus, he NEVER used a 1/4 seam allowance, and I said that all through the finishing of the quilt, as though he could hear me griping.)
It’s beautiful. Could not have been easy — I’m sure your laughter and tears are stitched in there too.
How wonderful! Her family will certainly love it and appreciate your efforts.
Oddly enough, I, too, have a quilt-in-progress that has been languishing in a box in my basement due to the death of my best friend – we were each making one together when she died 8 years ago, and I’ve never been able to finish it or give it away. But just a couple of months ago I decided that I was finally ready to do something with it, so that’s one of the goals for me this year.
Carole, you’re making me cry. What a wonderful gift! Thank you guys for finishing it.
That is a beautiful tribute. All those stitches connecting all of you together.
That’s a very touching story. While it may have been difficult to work on her quilt, I hope that the finished item gives you all some closure, and pride in your friend and her obvious talent with cloth and thread.
What a wonderful tribute to your friend – her family will treasure that quilt for generations.
It’s wonderful that you finished this quilt, and that Debbie’s husband asked you to. Not an easy task for anyone involved, and all the more beautiful for that.
gorgeous quilt and such a beautiful tribute to your friend and her family. i can’t imagine how difficult it was, but i’m sure that it’s comforting to know that this means the world to her family.
Carole, my heart goes out to you and your friends as you work through this grief. The quilt turned out beautiful! And, you know it will be treasured…not only for Debbie’s work on it but for the fact that her best friends cared enough to see it through so that it could go to its rightful home.
I hope your pain eases as the memories help you remember the wonderful times you had with Debbie.
it’s a beautiful quilt. and a lovely gift for her son.
What a beautiful way for the four of you to honor the memory and love of your friend. I’m sure her son will cherish the quilt always.
I know finishing that quilt had to be hard for all of you, but perhaps it gave you the gift of grieving and letting go too. It’s very beautiful.