Tu-Na Quilts: My First Quilt

Several years ago, I wrote the following story about the first quilt I ever made as an entry in a quilting magazine contest. Sadly, no picture exists of it; after you read the story you will know why.

My heart yearns for that which I no longer have.  I was sixteen when I made my first quilt.  Yarn tied in the center of each puffy blue or white square secured a nylon stocking.  Having begged nylons through a country magazine’s correspondence column; I received love letters, a proposal of marriage, necklaces, and a bounty of nylons.  I machine and hand stitched the squares together to resemble a heavy, warm biscuit quilt. I used that quilt for many years but due to its heaviness, it needed constant repair. Finally, I made the decision for its future.

 “Your old quilt sold first at the rummage sale,” my sister exclaimed thirty years ago as she handed me a dollar.  It seemed a fortune then for what is a priceless lost treasure today.

What I learned today:

1. Think twice before acting.
2. Even a good story doesn’t win.

P.S. I did not reply to that marriage proposal. But am happy to report that I have been  married for 41 years to a great guy who supports and encourages my creative passions. His favorite is my cooking/baking skill; probably because it is the least expensive and produces immediate results. I do not have any cooking UFOs laying around.