Quality of Life

A Quilt for the Road…

tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

This post is sort of a follow up to my previous post Love Wears it Out (Repost). I ordered someone to WEAR OUT a quilt!

Very Special Occasion Required

My original “Quilting Sister” (the woman who got me quilting) Judy always stated in response to people who would say to her “oh I wish you would make me a quilt“, is that you need to have a very special occasion to get a quilt: you have a baby, you get married, or you have some other very special occasion.

As quilts are a lot of work/time to make, not to mention a lot of money to make (more than non-quilters realize – see the TheQuiltShow’s July 2018 post – How Much Does It Cost to Make a Quilt? ), I’ve generally stuck to this rule.

Now, of course I’ve made quilts for special people in my life just because they are special. And as I’ve learned over the years, not everyone appreciates handmade items or appreciates the time and effort that went into it (I always remember the awful story a friend shared of discovering that a beautiful quilt she made for someone was being used to clean up an oil spill in recipient’s garage!).

But for the most part it is pretty darn exciting to give someone a quilt for a special occasion or because they are a special person.

Ordered to “Wear Out” a Quilt

Well my friends Cody and Cici are getting married this summer (a qualifying reason to get a quilt!), and although I have not known them a long time, I consider them special people and they really appreciate handmade items, so I sent them an early wedding gift – a quilt that I made with my late husband (who passed in December 2018), Terry the Quilting Husband.

I sent it to them with one very important stipulation: THEY MUST USE IT AND WEAR IT OUT.

Cody is an avid fly fisherman and so was my husband Terry. A couple years ago Terry selected a collection of fishing themed flannels and designed this quilt which I helped him assemble. Here are photos of the front of the quilt (which was so busy with fishing prints I sort of cringed when he designed it – ha!) and the back of the quilt (which was my idea to calm down the front!):

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One for the Road

So I knew Cody would love the quilt but I was a little worried his Cici might cringe. But I thought I would take a chance and send it to them as a their wedding gift.

They are super active outdoors people and have a cool Sprinter van that they use for long distance camping adventures, so I suggested that this very warm heavy flannel quilt be used for those adventures.

Well they both love the quilt and they complied! The quilt has already gone on its first van adventure:

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Photo courtesy of Cody G.

Cody and Cici sent me photos of them wrapped in their favorite sides of the quilt!

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I am working on a move to Colorado (see my series of posts Colorado Bound) and I need to lighten my load and this was a great way to do it. I know Terry would approve the quilt going to people who will love it and use it well!

I hope this quilt gets completely worn out to the point of being threadbare from a lifetime of adventures and road trips!

It is “one for the road”.

Postscript

I’m so honored my friend, author Marie Bostwick, reposted one of my blog posts (Valentines) on her blog Fierce Beyond 50, (which has a MUCH larger readership than my blog):

Coping with Grief by Helping Others

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fiercebeyond50.com

I really appreciate the opportunity to share my musings with a larger audience.

Published by tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Quilter, crafter, obsessive tea drinker and lover of all furry creatures (especially dogs and cats) - join me on my tierneycreates blog as I share stories from "A Crafter's Life".

24 thoughts on “A Quilt for the Road…”

  1. So I think I might need some kind of rehab about the person who used a quilt to mop up an oil spill. How very disrespectful.
    Moving on, so lovely to see this quilt in use by people who really appreciate it. May it be worn out in its travels but not for a very long time.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know! I gasped when I was originally told the story – it is like as a quilt I felt stabbed in the stomach! Thanks so much for your comments and they sent me a lovely thank you card promising it would be used well!

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  2. Awesome gift. Love the pix of them wrapped showing the different sides. Definitely the right home for this quilt. Well done, Tierney

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  3. Wow! I am saving that calculation on quilt cost and will link to it in a future post. Also I don’t know Marie Bostwick but her newsletter looks good so I subscribed. Thanks for the tips!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for your comments and you are welcome. I think Melanie @Catbird Studios had posted something about the cost of a quilt before but I could not find her post to link so I used that link. Glad you found it interesting!

      Liked by 1 person

  4. OMG an oil spill rag??? It makes being a ‘stadium’ quilt look like a primo designation.
    As for TTQH’s quilt…so many connections in that piece. It seems passing it on made an impression on the giftees – they ‘get it’.
    I find it interesting the sides of the quilt that were chosen as ‘favorites’ – you nailed it!
    Take care

    Liked by 1 person

  5. I am so happy to see 2,people so happy about receiving Terry’s quilt. It looks like it will be so loved..I loved reading Marie’s blog and her story on how you both met. It sounds like a special friendship you have.

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  6. Hi Tierney! Can I like both sides? Do I have to choose? I like both sides. Two sides, two artists, and both wrap around the recipient. I love it!

    I love that you share glimpses “behind the scenes”! It surprises me every time to hear how many details go into a quilt – in this case, how much material. Obviously it is a LOT of effort, and it is only reasonable that this demands appreciation. And it demands USE, after all, that’s what a quilt is made for. And this one looks like it is MEANT to be in that camper, a perfect match.

    Maybe I am bad at US measurements but I couldn’t grasp how a bed-sized quilt requires 23 yards of fabrik and backing. It sounds to this faithful pleb reader as if you’re wrapping the entire bed 🙂 Can you entlighten me please?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You can totally like both sides 😀😀😀

      Thanks so much for your time and serve and I really appreciate them. OK I have to agree with you 23 yards does it does seem a little crazy! I think last time I made a large bed size quilt I used seven yards on the back.

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  8. Tierney, it’s great seeing your friends enjoy the quilt you and Terry made! It’s lovely on both sides ♥♥ I give away most of the items I make to family and friends and am very happy to see that they use them. the link in your post was an eye opening read for me!

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  9. What happy gift recipients!!! My mom is a quilting junkie, so I’ve been given my fair share of quilts (and smaller quilting projects) for Christmas presents. Sometimes it’s tempting not to use them because I do know how much time and money go into them, but I do my best to use them as I would any other blanket.

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  11. Cody here…and we LOVE our Tierney and Terry creation! It is super cozy and has kept us warm on two weekend van outings already…getting ready for a third in a few hours. We will use it down to the very last thread, although with the quality craftsmanship Tierney put into it, we have our work cut out for us. Challenge accepted (no oil spills, I promise)!

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  12. I am glad to read that this awesome quilt has found a new home on the road! 🙂 I love the busy side and the calm side, and your pals are clearly loving it! I received a handmade quilt a little over a year ago, and I’ve been keeping it very protected (I love it so much, I’m afraid of wearing it out). But your last few posts are reminding me that wear and a little tear are forms of love, too. 😀

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