Christmas Quilt

"The Surprise"

So this was another hurry up and get it done quilt. One week before Christmas and I needed a special present for my husband. His mother had passed away on December 19 the previous year, so this Christmas would be hard.

While cleaning out her house the summer after she had passed away, we found some old feedsack material that she had kept from the 60's. I tugged and pulled on it to make sure that it was not rotten. In December I washed and ironed all the pieces and cut out several squares to make a nine patch. I had sewed about four blocks together when my husband came home that night, so I showed him what I had finished and I told him that I wouldn't be able to have it done for a while with Christmas just around the corner. I explained to him how I wanted it to look when it was finished. So I cleaned up my mess and packed it all away, and continued to get ready for Christmas, or so he thought. I had removed the project form his sight.

The sewing machine was set up in the spare bedroom, which had become my sewing room while he was at work and at night while he was asleep. I'm running on very little sleep.

Our family celebration was to be on Christmas Eve. The night before on Dec. 23, Charley was very tired but, he had been having trouble sleeping more than three or four hours at a time. I talked him into taking some medicine to help him sleep. I sure didn't need him waking up early. With my last night to finish the quilt, I needed all the time that I could get. I went to bed at 4a.m. on Christmas Eve, I got up about 8a.m. Charley left for work and I ran to the spare bedroom. I had work to do. The top was finished and basted but only half tacked. Between cooking for the evening dinner and and finishing the quilt, I barely had time to breath. Unlike before, I actually got it finished. When my husband came home, everything was ready. He wanted me to turn up the heat and at this time in my life there was no way that was going to happen. I told him to hold on a minute, brought the quilt in and spread it over him and asked if that would do. SURPRISE!

With tears in his eyes and everyone elses, he said that would do.

I told him that every time he covered up with it it would be like a hug from his mom. The quilt has become very special to him.