Saturday, December 31, 2011

Quilt of Shaun

My final post of 2011 is dedicated to a quilt that has taken me most of the year to complete. I first envisioned a quilt dedicated to my uncle Shaun a little over a year ago. In October 2010 he passed away suddenly, leaving my aunt and her 3 kids heartbroken. I enlisted the help of my sister Amber and my mom in the project. Amber, who is great with design and drawing helped me figure out which aspects of Shaun's life we should include and how to do so. She drew most of the images that became the stitcheries. We divided the 10 blocks between the 3 of us. A few months later I collected the stitchery blocks. We collaborated on fabrics/quilt designs, and from our collaborations I created this quilt. Just in time for Christmas too!
I love how it turned out. The colors, the design, the fabrics, the stitcheries, the straight line diagonal quilting, even the back.
Fabrics used in this quilt: Kona Cottons (Lemon, Banana, Medium Grey & Ash); Michael Miller's Dumb Dot, Peacock Lane- Meadow and Going Coastal- Sea Kelp; Free Spirit's Soliel and Silent Cinema- Iris Yellow; Ary Gallery's Modern Affair; and Cloud9's Cut Out & Keep- Poplin Avenues.

Now for a brief look into Shaun's life:
Family was always the most important part of Shaun's life. His wife, his children and his extended family.
Shaun married my Aunt Karen in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple.
He served a religious mission to Japan.
He was a farmer, and operated a red combine. He was one of the hardest working men I've ever known.
Shaun attended and graduated from Brigham Young University.
He taught his kids to ski when they were small and it was always a favorite family activity.
He loved scouting and was involved in it his whole life.
Shaun enjoyed read, and I always remember that there was stack of books on the table beside his chair.
He was raised in and lived his life in a small town in Idaho.
He went to Oakley High School and enjoyed sports.

My uncle Shaun was a great man, a man whom I want to try to emulate in my own life. Creating this quilt about him has helped me to remember that and I hope that it will have that same affect on others, especially his children and future grandchildren who won't have met him but can still benefit from his example and love.

11 comments:

  1. Wonderful Nanc. Great post. Thank you Thank you Thank you.

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  2. Nancy, the quilt is beautiful--probably the loveliest memory quilt I've seen. All of you,your mom and Amber included, did a fantastic job. You are right that it will help others to know him and make those who, like me, never met him wish that they had. He sounds like a wonderful person. What a heartfelt way to offer comfort to your aunt and your cousins.

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  3. How amazing and beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing with me.

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  4. Very impressive, Nancy! What a really nice tribute to your Uncle. I'll bet Karen really appreciates and will cherish it all her life.

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  5. Really nice summary, Nance. It's your most brilliant project, and I'm glad I could be involved.

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  6. I got to be the recipient of this masterpiece. It was such an honor to receive such a thoughtful, loving gift. I just wanted to snuggle up in the memories of his life and feel him all around me. It is such a comfort to know you thought so much of him. And love him and us this much. Big hugs to Amber, Nancy, and Diane for helping us survive. Big hugs to them for honoring Shaun. Big hugs to them for being who they are. Love. Love. Love it and you.

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  7. What a wonderful tribute to an amazing man! I hope this quilt will help Shaun's family cherish the happy memories of his life, and that their knowledge of the Plan of Salvation will help their grief. What a wonderful, amazing gift.

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  8. I came to your blog via Quiltstory to comment on what a wonderful quilt you made. Love the colors and all the stitcheries, you aunt must have been awestruck!

    Congrats on a job very well done.

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  9. I love your work, dedicated to the caring parent, it really is very special, congratulations! A beautiful work.

    (link came through quiltstory)

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  10. That is beautiful! You are welcome to stalk my blog, I'll start stalking yours now! hahaha

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  11. What a lovely memory! I too made a memory quilt when my Dad passed away and it was very therapeutic. I love the back of the quilt and would love to make that as the front of a quilt, do you happen to have the measurments of the back and each section.

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