Best Thank you Ever!

I have made and gifted many quilts and handmade items over the years as you have all done. This quilt elicited the best expression of gratitude that I have ever received. Ever!

The gentleman in the picture is a former colleague, Ricardo. I was a Spanish teacher in a former life, and he was a member of my department. He was a wonderful teacher and always willing to give a hand to a new department member like me. One of my favorite memories is when it was snowing outside and Ricardo would use his free period to knock on your classroom door and whisper in your ear that there would be an early dismissal. Long before cell phones and the internet, Ricardo was our text messenger!

My other strong memory of Ricardo was the smart style in which he would dress everyday. He had more button down shirts and ties than any man I have ever known and my dad had a lot! Ricardo believed that teachers should always dress professionally and I cannot remember a day except the photograph above, that he did not have a crisp button down and sharp tie! So when he was getting ready to retire I decided that I would make him a shirt and tie quilt. I did not have a pattern, so I set about trying to draft it. 
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I raided my stash for all of my low volume beiges and then I set about looking for novelty fabrics for the ties. I wanted to reflect aspects of Ricardo's life in the ties. I found chocolates which were his favorite treat; American flags since this was his second country having immigrated from Cuba following the coup by Castro; flowers for his gardening and so on. It was a fun scavenger hunt.

​To make the shirts, I used a rectangle for the body and I decided that prairie points might fit the bill for the collar. I added the small white buttons to accent the collar just like a button down shirt. I did fuse the ties using a soft fusible and then button hole stitched around each one. I framed it in black and brown to give it an artistic feel. I could almost see a Campbell soup can poster-like picture in my mind. 

The day for Ricardo's retirement luncheon came and someone in the department found a Cuban restaurant nearby for the celebration. When he opened the package he was stunned. He read each message that had been written on the back. (I had each department member sign a square and I added them to the backing) I was very happy that it was so well received. It was not until the next morning at school that I found out just how well received it was.

Because it was final and state exam week, there were no classes and my exam was already given. I was in my classroom getting ready to clean and organize for the fall, when my door opened. It was Ricardo. He came over and hugged me. I will never forget what he said: "That is the best gift that I have ever received! Thank you so much!" Ricardo had never been one to be overly expressive but he was that day. And I am reminded of another time when he was supportive, as was the whole department. They sent me a card when I was going through a tough time and he wrote,"tarde o temprano, todo cambia" which basically means "this too shall pass". I was caring for my mom during that time and it was a very emotional period of my life trying to keep all the balls in the air so to speak. 

Like most quilters and crafters, I have gifted far more than I have kept. My joy comes from the creating the quilt but also from the gifting. I get to try out a new pattern or new technique and then share it and move to the next new thing. I have rarely made the same quilt twice and by making for personal experiences of others, I get to try it all. How blessed am I!

I would love to hear from you what experiences you have had in sharing your quilts with others. Drop me a message on the contact page if you have a minute or two.

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Until next time...
Piecefully,
​Trisha