Standing the test of time

I've passed by this great old barn in Connecticut a number of times in the last few years. This past September I was compelled to pull over and take a few pictures. The barn sits on an expansive piece of farmland with great long stone walls.  The house next to it is still standing and in the process of renovation. There is something I find inspiring about the construction and colors, the fact that it still serves a purpose and is obviously well-worn used over the decades. It is humbling to know that someone pulled the stones from the land, stacked them precisely and created usefulness out of the simple materials at hand.

There are quilts that have stood the test of time, some in almost pristine condition after 100 years or more. But they were not used. They sat in cupboards, folded and displayed. They didn't warm a body or provide comfort in texture and color. They were not handled and dragged and draped over children and their parents as they read a bedtime story. It gives me great pleasure to visit someone and see a quilt I’ve given them bunched up on the couch or a bed, softer from being washed and dried, and used well. I know then it has been used as intended. It has served its purpose.

As I begin a quilt, the first decision is whether it is a ‘user’ or a ‘keeper’. Rarely is the answer a ‘keeper’. Perhaps a piece of my work will last beyond 2 or 3 generations. That’s a nice thought. But the stories will fade and weaken along with the colors and the construction materials. It might need a bit of renovation if it does last. In the long run, if these bits of cloth pieced together and stitched lovingly serve a purpose today, provide some bit of comfort with the recipient knowing I cared for them, that’s enough. And it gives me ample reason to make another and another….