Crazy Quilt

I started cutting out this quilt years and years ago

using a pattern someone gave me.

When I got to North Dakota with the cut out pieces and my sewing machine,

I had to get help at the local quilt shop,

because the instructions weren't all there.

The owner of the shop gave me some tips on sewing each block,

then some ideas on how to put the blocks together for an interesting quilt.

To make this quilt, I went through three sewing machines

(total through the years)

and a borrowed foot pedal

from a new friend in North Dakota.

I loved sewing for them

and I had a crazy theory that the mother

should never look better than the children.

I would put them to bed and sew

then later I would send them to school and sew.

I made baby dresses, prom dresses,

and matching doll dresses

I made clothes for play

and costumes for plays

I made a wedding dress

bridesmaid dresses

and flower girl dresses

I made one prom dress the day of the prom

now that's crazy.

The colors and fabrics were soft and sweet

and wild and crazy

Each one was stitched with love.

From the very beginning,

I saved a scrap of each outfit I made

to make a quilt someday.

Someday has finally come.

While I was sewing the quilt,

it occurred to me

that my quilting skills

were a little like my parenting skills.

 

I didn't have a clue what I was doing

I used someone else's pattern

I had to get outside help from experts.

I tried it different methods

I ripped it out and started over more than once

In the end,

I had to do what worked best for me and mine.

A lot of pieces make up the finished product

The quilt has a unique personality

This quilt is not at all forgiving about slipped stitches.

Close inspection shows each one.

But unlike my quilt,

This daughter has chosen to forgive her crazy raise'n

and doesn't show one sign of my mistakes.

This crazy quilt

was stitched with a lotta lotta crazy love.

"Look!

There's my Lady Forget Me Not dress

from my second grade play!"