One of the many reasons I have been absent is because this summer I lost one of my closest friends, Sara. She was one of the first people I would show finished projects to. I liked to show her my designs when they were in progress and she was one of my biggest supporters. We shared so much of our lives, we raised our children together and had a beautiful friendship.
When I lost her, I lost my spark. The week after her funeral my amazing husband practically shoved me into my studio and told me I needed to quilt something. I told him I was afraid and he told me “it’s just fabric and we can buy more of that.” That day I went into my studio and poured all of my grief into a Dream Big panel.
Losing someone you love takes so much out of you. I’m still trying to find a new normal. In the meantime, I think I have found a small way to honor my friend with this quilt. It was created through raw emotion and bound with love our our friendship.
This was my binding label. Binding the quilt was almost as hard as quilting it. Finishing this project felt so symbolic and I couldn’t figure out how to do it properly. I finally came up with “In celebration of friendship, July 2019.” This quilt has helped give me some peace and comfort, I know that Sara would have loved it.
It is an amazingly gorgeous tribute! I love it and you!
Melissa, what a wonderful way to honor your friendship. I hope you think of a wonderful memory each time you look at it. I hope you wrap up in it when you have especially tough days and realize her arms are around you. Praying for peace. Kathy
Seeing this piece for the first time moved me to tears. As a piece of art it is beautiful. As a piece of heart it is unparalleled.
Thank you for sharing your story, I believe sharing it will also help in your grieving process. Your quilt turned out beautiful!
My heartfelt sympathy. No loss is easy, but this bond is one of the hardest to reconcile to death. You are truly blessed with such a loving and sensative husband. Your memorial quilt is gorgeous and quite a tribute to your friendship. May God continue to hold you close as you mourn.
What a wonderful tribute to your friend. This is absolutely gorgeous.
So sorry to read of the loss of your dear friend. Your quilt is beautiful and a loving remembrance of your friendship with Sara.
What a beautiful Dream Big and a perfect reminder of your friendship with Sara. You have a very smart husband, who obviously knows you well and loves you very much. I lost my best friend 39 years ago and I still miss him. We get through it, but it changes us in the process and carry the scars proudly for the rest of our lives. The bigger the scar, the deeper the love.
Ah, your husband knows best sometimes! Carrying on your passion that you shared with Sara is a testament to your friendship. I’ll bet you thought of her with every sweeping stitch you took on that Dream panel! Losing someone close is never an easy process, and you will always hold a special place for her in your heart.
Beautifully done, and a wonderful tribute to your friend and the friendship you shared. I think it is so wonderful that Mr. Sew BitterSweet knows you that well. Sara will always be a part of you.