Sometimes when I start working on a quilt I have no idea who I'm making it for. Either I love the pattern and want to make the quilt for fun or I have tons of a specific fabric that needs to be used up. Both were the case when I started this simple blue and white "Chinese Coin" quilt.
When I finished the blue and white top, which was the first Corona quilt I made, I still didn't know where this quilt would end up. I have no blue in my house to speak of and so I figured the quilt itself would eventually tell me where it would go, quilts do that you know.
The quilt did tell me, via Instagram, where it should go! I posted a picture of the quilt top and a long-time friend commented that it reminded her of the courage beads her son would choose after his many chemo treatments. Duncan, her sweet little caboose was just two years old when he passed away from brain cancer, he would be 8 years old now. I immediately remembered that I was going to send Shauna a quilt for Duncan when I first heard he was sick. But I didn't, life got in the way. Then after he passed I remembered I was going to send a quilt to Shauna, something for her to wrap up in or to cry into if she needed it; FYI, quilts make great Kleenex. But I didn't, life got in the way again. I honestly don't know what could have been more important but I soon forgot about it and every now and then when I would remember I decided that too much time had passed and it might seem weird? What's weird is that's what I thought! Finally I came to my senses!
The second I read Shauna's comment I knew this quilt would be going to their sweet family. After SIX YEARS it was about time I acted on my prompting!! I had to wait for backing to come in the mail and for batting, too, thanks to Covid. When it finally arrived I began machine quilting it only to have the last needle in my entire workroom break!!! Had to wait another two days for needles to arrive so I could finish!
Six years late but last week the blue and white "Chinese Coin" quilt was renamed "Courage Beads" for little Duncan and it made it to it's new home in Atlanta, Georgia to be loved by Duncan's family who is enduring the worst thing that could ever happen but they are doing it with so much love and gratitude, you'd never know their hearts were broken.
Shauna sent me this picture of her daughter wrapped up in the quilt. And let me tell you, nothing could have made my heart feel better!!! This is what a quilter lives for! Knowing someone loves the quilt she made - that's the cherry on top. In a strange way I guess I need to thank Covid for keeping me at home long enough so I could finally make a quilt for Duncan. But that's the only thing I'm going to thank it for!
