70" x 84"
A Christmas Story
We used to joke that my dad could find a golf ball hidden under 4 inches of mud in the middle of a lake! It wasn't far from the truth. Each Sunday when my dad came home from playing golf, he brought with him about 70-80 found golf balls. He like to walk the course, and he walked on the sides, the roughs. He always found a lot of lost golf balls. He cleaned them up, played with the best ones, traded some for golf equipment, and also saved most of them. It grew to quite the collection over the years as you can imagine.
Well, this quilt is all about my dad, but not just because of all the balls he found. I also think of him as a diamond in the rough. He grew up in a household with a lot of kids and a mom to take care of everyone. She frequently had 2 jobs to make ends meet. There were lots of stories of fighting over food and collecting bottles to get extra money. He went from these modest beginnings to pursue a lifelong career of entrepreneurship. He could always see a way to make money and save money in unusual ways. He owned a chain of stores, he rented properties, he made deals. He had a type of stewardship of property and money that was just brilliant, and all with only a 10th grade education. He also earned his GED, and got an international consumer credit credential. He joined the army during the Korean War, and was very proud of the time he served there.
It was the later part, about being a veteran that he talks about a lot today. When I was a kid he never mentioned it. But now, in assisted living, he bonds with other veterans. So, I was inspired to make this quilt for him, in red, white, and blue. It is a log cabin block, because that is both the first block I ever learned how to make, and also because it is about home, and this is his new home. The choice of red for the center traditionally symbolized the hearth of the home. The arrangement of the blocks, that part is the offset diamond, or a diamond in the rough, that's my dad.
I went to see my dad this week and gave him his quilt. He was quite pleased with it, and also very gracious about accepting it. I am so glad. I hope it will keep him warm and give him comfort.
2 comments:
Just lovely Kathy........isn't this just why we quilt, for times just like this.
Thanks,
LuAnn Kessi in Oregon
luannkessi.blogspot.com
LuAnn, I completely appreciate the sentiment, and how that is for you. However, for me, I quilt because I am a quilter. I feel lucky when that coincides to bring joy to others either through quilt gifts or my art quilts. It's all good! By the way, I am completely in awe of people who have the gift of cooking, and love it when they share with me, like my mom! Off to her house for Christmas dinner! Thanks!
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