Made To Last.....A Sisters Love...

Bonjour on this lovely but strange morning...it looks like the sky can't decide if it's going to rain or be fine.....either way it's a perfect day for me to do some more sewing.....

Speaking of sewing....have you ever had something made for you that has lasted forever? Well I have. 21yrs ago when I was pregnant with my first baby my lovely sister Charmaine was busy making me a patchwork quilt....only I didn't know about it because it was a present and she was doing it as part of a school project....any how when James (my then baby, now 21) was born she gave me this lovely quilt she'd made with her own two hands and I'm sure some of her blood, sweat and maybe tears.....I loved it straight away as it was quite big and easily fitted the cot and in the pram, so it went straight into James' cot, as he got bigger it got used as a blanket for him to play on, it went in the pram to keep him warm and it went over him to cover him up if he ever fell asleep on the couch or in his play pen. Then Luke came along and it was Lukes' turn to use the quilt in the same way, then Lauren came along and it was her turn....now the difference with Lauren was that because she was the youngest she got to use the quilt the longest....in fact she used it up until she was a bout 7 - 8yrs old when I eventually had to pry it off her......Lauren always called it her blanky and especially when she wasn't feeling well she would grab her 'blanky' and pillow and hop on the couch and watch t.v and fall asleep.....she loved it so much and hated parting with it and just a few years ago made me promise to pass it down to her when she gets married and has kids.....she believes in planning ahead..aye.

So my quilt has lasted through three kids, hundreds, possibly thousands of washes, being pooped on, spit on, thrown up on, weed on and dragged from home to staying away to wrapping up dolls, out in the sun on the line, thrown in the dryer in winter, folded, unfolded, stored away in linen cupboards to being included in bedding and still it is going strong.

And now after 10yrs of being packed away it's come out again to welcome a new baby into the crazy Bergeron/Lisle clan.....I never in a million years thought I'd be using this quilt again until I had grandchildren but life has a way of changing things....I took my quilt out of the cupboard last week and I am amazed how well it has held up after so much use....some of the fabrics have faded a little while others are still bright and colourful......it's still fresh and clean, oh and amazingly after 11yrs of straight usage it hasn't one stain on it..!!

The patchwork quilt made by my sister Charmaine, 21yrs and three kids later it still looks like new..

 

The reverse side, a little faded and slightly thinning but still in immaculate condition..

 

After 21yrs the only mending I have to do is a slight tear in this corner...

 

There is a little more to this story that a lot of people don't know...first of all, all the fabric used in this quilt was left overs mum had and most of them she had made us shorts and tops out of...I remember having a shorts and top set made out of the blue and white checked fabric with pineapples on it....mum made me school shorts out of the navy blue and white striped fabric and I know the other fabrics were used for my sisters clothes as well......

 

When I met Charmaine for coffee last week I told her I'd pulled the quilt out of the cupboard for the baby and she was surprised it was still going and that I still had it.....she also informed me her sewing teacher gave her a D for the quilt because it took too long to make.....I couldn't believe it.....I told her she needed to find the teacher so I could tell her she could reverse the grade and that it had lasted 21yrs..!!

 

I just said to mum last week, I don't know if I will be able to pass it on to Lauren now as it has so many memories and is the only thing I have left that has done all the kids and is about to serve another baby......

 

So to my sister Charmaine I say thank you, I love you and you did a wonderful job creating something that is obviously going to last forever and because of this gift you have helped to make so many wonderful memories through this quilt....xoxox