Daddy's Shirts : A Memory Quilt

This is my dad. He passed away 2 years ago from ALS ( Lou Gehrig's Disease.) Though he is gone now, this is how I'll always remember him - full of laughter and joy, love for his family and a penchant for button down Oxford shirts in stripes and plaids.  

It took a long time for my mother to decide what to do my my father's things after he had made the journey to heaven.  She wanted to keep a few things that helped spur memories, but also needed to move on. A closet full of Daddy's clothes usually made her feel worse, instead of better, so gradually she gave away his things.

She seemed to hold onto a particularly large bag of Daddy's shirts for a long time.  One day I asked her what her plans were.  

"Maybe there is a use for them?" she said.

"Of course there is, " I replied.

I volunteered to take these 30 shirts with me and find a "good use" for them.  

It didn't take me long to figure out a plan.

 I took my rotary cutter to each shirt and cut enough "tumbler" blocks to make 4 quilts - one for my mother, one for me and one for each of my 2 sisters.  

I tried to cut the pieces to incorporate button bands, buttons, and pockets so that the quilts were recognizably made from shirts. 

I think this is the perfect way to make these shirts "useful" again.

Now that the quilts are sewn, once again, we can wrap the warmth of our husband/father around us.

He can keep us cozy on cold winter nights.

We can study each pattern and remember the events to which he wore each shirt and how he filled those get-togethers with singing, joke-telling and laughter.

We can think about how his favourite colour was purple, but he never really strayed from the straight and narrow shade of  "blue"  when he shopped.  

We can remember fondly a man who put his family first and was a joy to spend time with right until the end.  

We miss you, Daddy.  

Luckily, we have so many sweet reminders of you that you are never far from our minds.

XOXOXO

To finish this post, something a bit lighter.

This is Camden.  

He likes watermelon.

By the looks of these pictures, this must be the yummiest watermelon, EVER!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs to you and yours!!

Bronwyn