Nathan Almost 10 Years Old

My niece, Kelly, lives in San Antonio, Texas and asked me to make a blanket for her son, Nathan, when he was approaching his 10th birthday! She sent me 30 shirts from family travels, day care and elementary school, movie themes and amusement parks. They provide a record of his varied interests and tell the story that he was always a child who embraced life. Adored by his dad, Joey, and his Mom, two special T-shirts record "World's Greatest Dad!" and "I Heart Mom." He is 10 now, but he won't be for long.  

When kids are in their teens, struggling to break away and define themselves, determined that they aren't loved enough or understood at all, it is good to have something concrete to remind them that these feelings are momentary. A blanket that recounts the early years takes them back to a time before now.  A time when someone had bought them their first rainbow cotton candy, had screamed with them on their first roller coaster ride, had read them bedtime stories and left the light on, even when there was no reason to be scared.  It's a reminder of the parents who have been their biggest fans since the beginning. Those memories get cloudy when you are 16, but the blanket helps them remember. They loved you once a lot. They still do.

Surprise Christmas Gift

This blanket was fun to make. I received a call early December with a special request. "Do you think you can make a blanket for my husband in time for Christmas?" It was going to be a surprise, and her husband had played football, coached basketball, even designed a couple of the logos for the shirts. "He kept everything," she explained, as we pulled out the  neatly folded shirts, athletic shorts and sweatshirts from a huge plastic bin.  She had retrieved the bin which usually stayed near where they store their Christmas decorations, and she was hoping he wouldn't notice it was missing! He had so many shirts, we had to make a king size blanket to use them all.

One of the things that is great about gathering these memories all in one place is that it gives a way for parents to show their children and grandchildren they weren't always as they are today. It tells the story that they were kids once, college stars once, coaches once. They had shared their talents with their communities, performed in front of cheering crowds, helped other kids find their way. A blanket like this is made to be passed along to the next generation. It helps tell the story that playing, competing, teaching are in the fabric of who we are.

Volleyball Star Blanket

This Christmas, Joy asked me to make a surprise gift for her daughter, Ashley. She played volleyball in Loveland, Ohio and now plays on the volleyball team at Ohio Valley University in West Virginia where she earned a volleyball scholarship! This blanket tells the story of her talents, contributions to her community, and love of the game.  Here is her Mom, holding this surprise Christmas gift! They're coming over tomorrow to adjust the seam on one of the squares...so it will be perfect for her to take back to school after the break! Especially for college students, far from home, it is comforting to have something like this to wrap yourself in...something to remind you of your successes, where you came from, where you are going.

Christmas 2010 Grandpa Bear

Derk...my husband... passed away in 2006, and his grandchildren never really got to know him. Chloe is now 3, and Chet will be 5 on New Year's Eve. Chet was 6 weeks old when his grandpa died from a cancer that had left him weakened, but with a sense of humor intact and dreams to be realized . He was still planning a motorcycle trip out West with our son, Mike...though the lung cancer had left him barely able to walk. We had saved some of Derk's favorite shirts, pjs, bandana's...and I finally crafted this blanket for Chet for Christmas this year. He helped choose the fabrics and had been checking in on "how his blanket is coming along." The back is a warm...navy blue fleece...and when he sleeps with it, he will always be reminded of a family who loves him. Making memory blankets like this is such a wonderful experience...each one unique, tying the present and future to a past we treasure.