A Hug in the Making

On my last trip back to Boston, I enjoyed a fabulous evening of fabric shopping with a good friend (and expert quilter) who cheerfully braved rush hour traffic to share some of her favorite quilt shops with me.  At Quilter’s Way in Concord, MA (www.quiltersway.com), I found a jellyroll of “A Walk in the Woods” by Aneela Hoey for Moda.  This whimsical collection features storybook prints of little red riding hood, foxes, toadstools and adorable little birdies, all accented by modern geometric prints.  The reds, blues, pinks and grays all work together beautifully.

My only problem - what would I do with it once I got home?  I didn’t have a pattern in mind, or even a recipient.  But, with a little encouragement from my friend, it did indeed come home with me.  J  I decided to make a geometric quilt on a white background. I drafted a pattern of filled rectangles that worked well for the 2.5” wide jellyroll strips and set to work. 

However, as I worked on it, it began to feel a bit frivolous to be making a quilt that had no purpose.  I was continually distracted by thoughts of a very close friend of mine that had recently been diagnosed with an aggressive form of bone cancer and had just started her first round of chemotherapy.  The treatment was taking its toll on her and I found myself struggling with ways to be there to support her when I couldn’t see her in person and it was too difficult for her to talk on the phone.  I kept wishing I could just give her a hug.  Then I realized – I was making the quilt for HER.  I hadn’t really thought about it, but it ended up that the woodsy theme, color combinations and strong graphics were perfect for her!  With her in mind, I sped up my sewing so that I could finish it before she starts her second round of chemo tomorrow.  I poured all the joy I could into this quilt that I hope will be there to give her a hug when I can’t.