I like quilting because it’s something useful and beautiful: memory quilts have that element of nostalgia and it’s something useful. Quilting is something I can do, a skill I can share, that others may not have the ability or craft to do.

My favorite part is giving them away. I like the way the quilts make people feel and what they cause folks to remember.  The hardest part is just getting started on a project; it’s not always clear how a quilt should go.

Some people talk about liking either quilting or making quilt tops; I actually like both. Making the top is like putting a life puzzle together. But the quilting is putting the finish on everything, binding the memories into one marvelous story.

It’s a gift to me to be entrusted with people’s memories and legacies, things precious and irreplaceable to them.