Over the past couple of months, I have had the pleasure of creating a set of two memorial quilts for a woman whose mother, Genevieve, passed away in 2013. Genevieve was known for her lively sense of humor and her dedication to nursing. Taking seven of Genevieve’s garments together with a solid ivory linen, I constructed the two quilts using my Eclipse quilt pattern.
The process began with deconstructing the garments.
The wonderful women, Eleanor and Litsa, who host the online grief forum What’s Your Grief.com interviewed me about my memorial quilts. They posed some really thoughtful questions that really got to the heart of why I do this work. Click here to read their blog post.
“I had wanted Lori to make a memorial quilt for years. My mother was in possession of a box of my father’s shirts she had erringly convinced herself were all “taupe”. It was a pleasure to turn over the garments to someone who truly cherishes and understands textiles. I was a recipient of sometimes daily emails and photos that tracked her progress and included me in details of the work. These emails and photos were so compelling that I ended up forwarding them to many relatives, and we all enjoyed watching the quilt come together through the ether. The quilt now lives on my bed, and just the other day as I lay awake in the dark, I was feeling the different textures of the fabrics side by side and realizing there was still more to explore about my beautiful quilt even with my eyes closed.” – Amanda (Lewis’ daughter) Read more >
Starting today, and in the months to come, I will be sharing what I am calling my Quilt Stories, the ideas, process, and client responses that informed many of my Commemorative Quilt projects. It has been a wonderful way to reconnect with past clients and to inform those who would like to gain a deeper understanding of what I bring to my work. Enjoy!
“Joan was our mother, a strong, hard-working & generous Bermudian lady who loved her family & friends. She enjoyed giving to them and to the entire community her time, talents, and service. She loved to cook and garden and enjoyed 85 years of a full, productive life after leaving school to work at age 12. Joan was an independent woman, strong and determined; yet resilient and open to the demands of societal change. Down-to-earth, devoid of “airs”, she had no fashionista aspirations (I was so proud, growing up, that ours was the only mother to go to work in shorts!). Still, she enjoyed dressing in the unique and attractive manner Bermuda life encourages: pretty Liberty prints, bright plaids, island motifs, and of course, her coral-orange Pink Lady uniform!” Read more >
I am in the midst of making this lovely memorial quilt for a woman who lost her father 6 years ago. It is made out of 15 of his favorite shirts.
