It's a Beautiful Thing

In my family handcrafted gifts are the most valued. Monetary value is not as important as the fact that the gift of time was given to conceive and produce the offering. My mother still uses the covers I sewed for her kitchen appliances. Watercolor paintings created by my father grace our walls. And perfect strangers will comment on the beauty of the handknit sweaters my mother made for me.

So this Christmas was very special, when my sister came to visit. We talked a couple of years ago about her creating a quilt for us, and what would we like as a motif. Trees would be nice, we said. We collaborated on a general design, and Monica bought some fabrics. But that was the last I remembered. On Christmas Eve we exchanged gifts, and the finale was the presentation of the completed quilt. We were overcome.

The artist and quilt are shown in the featured photo. The gift of love – it’s a beautiful thing.