first quilt, first born

i started quilting

to pass the time

while i was in college

.

it was 1978 to be exact

general hospital was the main event

it had taken over the dorm

we scheduled classes

around it's viewing time

luke and laura were about to be married

for the first time

the tv lounge was standing room only

i never was one to just sit

so i searched

for a pattern to complete by hand

a paper pieced

grandmother's flower garden

was suggested by my favorite quilt store owner

funny how those little hexagons

are back once again in 2010

i chose a black background fabric

with rose and blue flowers

i kept the project going throughout my college years

packing it up

the day i graduated

with it carried

memories for a lifetime

finally i finished sewing the binding

a year or so later

neatly folded it into a square

and closed it in a suitcase

until 1988

exactly ten years after it's inception

when i pulled it out

shortly after my first born arrived

i spread it about

and watched with delight

as he played

he loved the softness

and the texture

he was gentle with it

as though he understood the

work of my hands

the love of each stitch

today

we still share that bond

an unwritten code

he often calls when i'm thinking of him

when i need

the sound of his voice

it's hard to

imagine where the years have gone

this week

from college

he will graduate

with his

own memories for a lifetime

this mom could not be prouder

tj a job well done my son