CSU-Pueblo Memory Quilt ~ TGIFF Party

Welcome to Thank Goodness it's Finished Friday!  And welcome to Melva Loves Scraps... where I like to share not just my quilts, but the stories and thoughts as I make them.  I try to make your visits enjoyable and entertaining.  Grab a cup of coffee or tea... or your favorite beverage (and maybe a snack) and settle in.

When you're done reading feel free to link up your finish.  I'd love to have you join the party. 🎉

When I pulled this UFO out of the closet a few months ago, I did a quick assessment and then put it back.  It was started by my oldest daughter, Heather about 13 years ago.  Her plan was to make it large enough to fit her full-sized bed with plenty of drop on the sides, that quite honestly would have probably ended up fitting a king bed. 

She was engaged a short time later, and then married and had started a family.  Two years ago she did a deep clean of her house because they were running out of space... 4 children, two adults and two dogs and all that is necessary for life began to stress her out.  

She ordered a large dumpster to be delivered to their house during spring break.  She spent a week cleaning closets, attics and every nook and cranny they had.  The bin that contained all of these 18-inch blocks were sent home with me to finish "someday."   

Wellllll.... Today is that day!  Rather than include all of the blocks on the front of the quilt, I placed a few in the pieced back.

Despite making the quilt top smaller, it was still a challenge to quilt.  The fusible stabilizer she used was a heavier weight of interfacing than I use.  It added extra weight as well as thickness.  Some of the screen-printing products making up the t-shirt graphics caused the thread to break easily, as did the extra thickness of the seams.  

At long last, I reached the end of the quilting grid, and I rejoiced!  Woohoo!  As I looked over the blocks as I quilted, I realized that she graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree, with an emphasis in Medical Technology and a double minor in Chemistry and Leadership Studies 15 years ago... There was a short text conversation with both daughters about how time has passed by.

Since Rebecca had also graduated the same year with an Associate's degree, we celebrated with a trip to Las Vegas.  It was shortly after the trip to Vegas that Dave and I became empty nesters. :)  2010 was a monumental year!  In addition to the graduations, Dave and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, and my Mom & Dad celebrated their 50th.

Getting there was a journey.  When Heather was a senior in high school, she was undecided and unsure about what to study.  We assured her that it was ok... But we also stated that if she had no idea of the direction of her studies, she was going to begin here in Trinidad at the junior college.  (She has always been a strong-willed person and has never liked being told what she must or must not do.)

Attending college in Trinidad was completely unacceptable to her and amazingly, just a few weeks later she discovered/announced that she wanted to become a Medical Lab Technologist.  This is not a common field of study, but there were two colleges in Colorado that offered the program, in addition to Oklahoma... which is where one of her best friends (at the time) was attending.

We and she did some additional research and started applying to these schools.  We explained that the final decision was going to come down to the bottom line and what the schools were able to offer in financial aid and scholarships.  Pueblo came through with the best offer.  She was active in the President's Leadership Program all four years and enjoyed the opportunity to help plan and lead various activities that were planned for students on campus.

Fifteen years later, she continues to use/hone the leadership skills as she is now the head of the blood bank at the hospital where she completed her MLT internship.

I'm sure she'll have a flood of memories as she covers up with this quilt as she has the opportunity.  And when that happens, she will be wrapped in the love and prayers from her Momma.

Memories are some of the best things... and having a quilt that helps to preserve the memories is bonus!

Do you have a special memory quilt?

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Put Your Foot Down at The Quiltery 

Little Things Thursday at Good Random Fun

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Create, Bake, Grow & Gather at Shabby Art Boutique

Home Matters at Days Filled with Joy

Patchwork & Quilts at The Quilting Patch 

Favorite Finishes Monthly Linkup at Quilting Jetgirl ~ 

m