Finished size: 25˝ x 31˝

This little quilted wallhanging is quite the world traveler. Believe it or not, it’s been across the Atlantic Ocean FIVE times!

Its peregrinations began back in the ‘80s, when my mother, a quilter, saw a kit—“Field of Flowers” #9020 from Four Corners Designs in a catalog. She knew that the sweet traditional pattern and soft pastel fabrics would delight my sister, who was living in England with her husband and sons. My sister was an accomplished sewer of garments and home dec items, but she hadn’t done much quilting. Mom ordered the kit, wrapped it up, and mailed it to my sister, figuring it would be a fun beginning quilting project for her. Atlantic Crossing Number 1.

But somehow, between a busy schedule (teaching piano in several English boarding schools at once) and bringing up her two sons, my sister just didn’t get around to making the little wallhanging. “Bring it to me,” Mom told her. “I’d love to make it for you.” So the next time my sister came to visit, she brought the kit. Crossing Number 2.

Mom was busy, too, with volunteer work at the Oakland Museum, East Bay Heritage Quilters, and much more. Some time passed, and sadly, her health began to decline. She still quilted, but at a much slower pace. Somehow she just never got around to cutting out and piecing that wallhanging.

Our mother passed away, and when my sister and I went through her sewing room treasures, there was the little kit, still intact, still unmade. My sister tucked it into her suitcase with some other precious keepsakes to take back home with her. Crossing Number 3.

But somehow, my sister still didn’t get around to making that wallhanging. She was still sewing, but piecing that darned thing was just one too many projects. Next visit, she brought it back for me to hang onto with the rest of the sewing and quilting things of Mom’s that I was keeping. Crossing Number 4.

This past year, when I realized with a jolt that my sister was due for a “milestone” birthday (I won’t say which one!), I wanted to give her a really special gift. I remembered the wallhanging kit, and I took a deep breath, got it out, cut it out, and pieced it together.

My mom would have hand quilted it, but I was working against a deadline. So a coworker at C&T—the talented and generous Ruthmary Schauer—machine quilted it for me, and that gave it the perfect finishing touch. I wrapped it up, packed it in a box, and shipped it off to England. Atlantic Crossing Number 5!

Of course my sister was thrilled, and I think we both felt that even though I had put it together, it was really a gift from our mother—to both of us. This little quilt truly has traveled a long way—but I think its traveling days are over at last.