Thursday, August 26, 2010

A Quilt for My Little Boy

When people are hurt or hurting, I want to do something for them. Take them a meal, babysit, clean their house, make them something. I just want to do something. So when I was hurting and grieving after losing Lucas, I was filled with the desire to do something, but couldn't think of what. One day when we were at Target, I saw the line of crib bedding I had picked out for Lucas. I stood there staring at it for a few minutes, and then in a burst of determination, I snatched up all the different sheets and blankets (it helped that they were on clearance). I love making blankets for people when they have a baby, and I made one for each of my girls, so it was only fitting to make one for Lucas. But then for some insane reason I decided to use 5" hexagons on both sides. Oh - it gets better. I started off making a baby sized blanket, but then after pondering it, I realized that no baby was ever going to use this blanket. So I decided to go for a lap size that I could use. I got working on that, but then as I was going along, I had some extra pieces and decided to extend it. Yup. My baby blanket ended up as a 6 foot by 4 foot blanket. Covered in 5" hexagons on both sides. Here it is:



I know it may be hard to see, but in this last picture, on the 4th row from the bottom, the middle green hexagon has "Lucas" embroidered on it. I wanted his name to be on there somewhere. And although it felt like it took all summer to finish, I'm glad that I did it.

In my world of pink and frills and bows, I now have something distinctively boyish. Something that shows that my little Lucas was here. And that's really all I wanted.

6 comments:

  1. That is Fabulous and Beautiful and Precious and Treasured!!!! So awesome. Thanks for sharing!! Love you!

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  2. i love it Betsy... so glad you made him a quilt. Thanks for sharing it...

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  3. What a wonderful idea.
    May I suggest taking it one step further and possibly making another for a baby in need...take your loss and turn it into a gain for a struggling parent who may have a hard tine buying warm blankets for their baby...in memory of Lucas so possibly at the anniversary dates of the loss you take a blanket made by you in his memory to like a Pregnancy Center in your area or even a church that helps out parents in need. I know your heart will grow from doing this and you will feel that you carry a relationship with your son even though he is no longer here with you. :o)
    Deborah Aydlott

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  4. I found your post from takethemameal.com. I'm always at a loss for how to minister to someone who loses a child. I won't be making quilts, but remembering that the child was real and giving the person something to do that is a great idea. Thanks for sharing what helped with your grief.

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  5. I love that! My grandma and aunt each made me a blanket that I still have on my bed for my daughter who passed away. I have two boys now so I have a few little hotly things in my house of cars and superheroes. I love them!

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  6. Thank you for sharing this story. I have a similar one. My husband, Craig, died of colon cancer on May 24, 2011. This July 4th weekend, I gathered our five kids and we went through his vast t-shirt and sweatshirt collection. Craig was known for the t-shirts and sweatshirts he wore each day. They are a reflection of his various interests and his sense of humor. Each child was able to choose shirts from the collection to have made into quilts by the Campus Quilt company. I know these quilts will be a special way for our kids to remember their Papa for years to come.

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