A Bento Box Quilt from the Past

A Bento Box Quilt from the Past

It seems that I have made so many quilts for my grandparents that I have forgotten about some of them…and so…recently, as they are being returned to me, it feels as though I am being reacquainted with my old friends.

And today I get to share another one of my old, almost forgotten friends.

It was one of the first dozen or so quilts that I ever completed from start to finish….and I was so proud of it that I couldn’t wait to give it to my grandparents for Christmas.

Last month as I saw it again, nested in a pile of quilts, I was flooded with so many memories.

I remembered buying the pattern (long since lost) with my mom at her favorite fabric shop.

(I believe the pattern was called “Bento Box”.)

I also remembered receiving the fabric to create the quilt from MODA…and how excited I was to pour over each and every print in the fat quarter bundle….and how much I loved the combination of blacks, creams, off whites, and tans.

I spent hours arranging and rearranging the prints on the floor of my family room…..

And then I remembered the back.

Oh how I loved (and still love) the back of this quilt.

I love it so because it showcases an imperfect block.

Try as I might then (and now) sometimes I still make mistakes.

(In quilting and in life.)

And this block…well…it was full of mistakes…and a bit of a mess.

I remember looking at it after I finished pressing it and being so disappointed.

Disappointed at my skills.

Disappointed at wasting fabric.

Disappointed at myself.

But then I remembered who I was making the quilt for…my grandparents.

My grandparents who had known and loved me my whole life…mistakes, imperfections, and all.

And so I surrounded that imperfect block with perfect, pitch black, fabric and added it to the back of the quilt.

Partly in thanks to my grandparents for loving me perfectly, deeply….flawlessly.

And partly to remind myself that I can be loved and useful and worth being seen…even though I’m flawed, imperfect, and at times…riddled with mistakes.

Recently, when I unfolded this quilt…A Bento Box Quilt from the Past…and looked at the back…I remembered all these things…and my heart was full.

Full of thanksgiving.

And full of love.

Quilting is a blessing.

I wouldn’t trade the love, lessons, and memories stitched into these quilts for anything.

Each quilt tells a story…and like I said…each quilt I am becoming reacquainted with feels like an old friend.

How lucky we are to stitch the tales of our lives with fabric and thread.

Happy quilting friends. Happy Quilting.