Story Quilts Always Make Me Smile-How Wonderful to Put Who You Are Into a Quilt!

The quilt above was done by my friend Laura, sister to Charlotte who lives in Florida. Laura has done a number of great quilts with lovely sentiments just like her sister. This quilt was about her Grandson and how much he loved her daughter who has since passed away. Lovely sentiment and Lher daughter is not gone, she will be remembered through this quilt.

the quilt above is from the lady below who wrote me this lovely letter.
I took a class from you at Empty Spools back in March of 2007. I started this quilt in that class and finally finished it this last fall and wanted to share it with you. I am so happy with the way it turned out, in fact I just entered it in my guild's show (Mid Valley Quilt Guild) and it won a First Place Blue Ribbon (Traditional Mixed Wall Quilt) and two special recognition awards (Whimsical/Fantastical and Patchwork Humor).
I have two quick Mary Lou stories to share with you as well.
1) I had no interest in quilting until I saw you on Simply Quilts in about 2001. You were talking about your Angel quilts and something just clicked in me and said "I could do that!". I have been an avid quilter since. And I can not express to you all the joy, creativity, friends and passion it has brought into my life!
2) A few years after that I was at the Sisters Quilt Show and took a picture of the cutest chicken quilt. I loved that quilt, and decided to make it, but I searched all over for the pattern, but finally decided to just make it without a pattern using my picture as a guide. It is one of my favorite quilts even now. About a year ago a good friend gave me your book 'Whimsies & Whynots' and I was amazed to see that very quilt in your book! You inspired me even when I didn't know it was you. Thank you!!!
Anyway I just wanted to share all this with you, and let you know you have an avid fan in Oregon!
With much love and appreciation,
Joanne Swinehart ..............quilt below
Salem Oregon

The quilt seen here is a 50 year anniversary quilt done by Marilyn Wall from South Caroline. She is an amazing artist and did such a nice job on showing the love between she and her husband Kermit. A lovely keepsake.

I was going through my files and finding different story quilt photos that people mailed me. I thought that since I enjoy them so much you would also. I am not sure who some of the girls who designed these are now but they are fun to study just the same. If you haven't ever thought about doing a story quilt, please think about it. In 80 years what will people know about you, who you loved and what is important to you? So many things to say with so many things happening in our world. Pass on people you love, pass along sayings that touch your heart and can touch others also, pass along your favorite pets, collections, your home, your garden, your hobbies, memories of the past and hopes for a bright future. The wedding todsy would have been a fun subject for quilter's from Britain. HOW lovely it was! I enjoyed every minute of it and I taped five hours of coverage. I adore what the British do with hats. How about a hat quilt? Wonderful wouldn't it be? Please think about telling the world about YOU. I thought I would share the postcard from the Laconner Quilt Museum that is showing my latesy quilts there. Loved the postcard they did-so colorful and fun.

The quilt below was done by Jill Monley for her relative for a wedding gift. They liked to ride motorcycles...wouldn't this be a lovely gift for someone getting married and the story will go on and their children or family will have this quilt as a lasting memory of these two people when they got married. great job!



One last thing is it is lovely to see how many of these story quilts are receiving ribbons at quilt shows. People are starting to understand the sentiment behind the stories. Hope you think about the stories you would like to tell the world now and as a legacy. Such fun.