At last ....

These are a selection of my husband's cotton shirts which I have kept safely hanging in the wardrobe. I kept them because I knew that one day I wanted to make a quilt in his memory but it has taken me a long while to gather myself to even think about it and then I needed to feel right about the design.

At a recent quilt show I had a light bulb moment after which I found that I was able to take the shirts and start to cut them up, because I was so confident that the design was right and I was ready. Although his career was to take a few turns, my husband started life on his parent's farm as the eldest of eight children and he continued his interest in farming throughout his life. He also championed community spirit and teamwork and his unquenchable interest in everyone he met meant that he made friends wherever he went.

The Amish community traditionally used fabric left over from dressmaking or worn garments and painstakingly and lovingly hand pieced and hand quilted the cotton into wonderful creations. The different designs they produced represented many facets of their life and are still being worked today by modern quilters. I have chosen a variation of a very traditional pattern known as Barn Raising. In the Amish community the men used to gather together to do the heavy lifting required to make a barn, for example for a newly wed couple or to replace one destroyed by fire. Their women folk joined in by providing large amounts of energising food and first aid if required. Even youngsters were involved acting as mini helpers to both men and women. It was a real community effort.

I am confident that my choice of design would be met with approval.