Blanket Statement

In our house, blankets hold a place of honor.

Not surprisingly, we have quite a few quilts. My favorite is a double nine patch in cream and apricot, one of the first I made. It's the quilt I spent six months under with each of my pregnancies, and the one I pull out when I feel under the weather. It is worn and soft and the quilting is intricate, done by the ultra talented and now retired Kathy Sandbach.

The most used blankets in the house are the tied fleece ones that Wendy made for the kids. Thing 2 sleeps under them every night. Wendy has no idea how much love those blankets have provided and received over the last seven years.

Occasionally we pull out an old yellow plaid blanket, one that is still in great shape. Dave and I got it in Tijuana during his college days in San Diego, 20+ years ago. It is utilitarian and very warm.

Aunt Janice, who wins the prize for giving the best handmade gifts in the history of gift giving, crocheted The Pinks afghans and another year, made them quillows -- quilted blankets that fold into a pillow for use and storage. Brilliant.

I've made baby blankets for a special few over the years. There's no greater compliment to a quilter than when their creation is worn to shreds. Caryl's son did just that then left his in a hotel somewhere around his fifth year. After the housekeeping staff scoured the property with no luck, Caryl's husband drove back, over 100 miles, to do it himself. Again, nada. Because I love Caryl like a sister, and because her poor son was wreaking havoc on their sleep, I dug up all my scraps and put together a second, similar quilt. Caryl cried like a baby when her son opened it. To this day I'm not sure if it was because of the sleep deprivation or because she couldn't believe I did it.

Although this next one isn't a blanket, it's worth a mention because it is spectacular. I found out I was pregnant with twins on a Wednesday. On Saturday, by FedEx, arrived a quilt from my cousin Judge Jodi in Rhode Island. It's called Great Expectations. The quilt has eight appliqued women on it, each pregnant and showing their belly. The are all different ethnicities. The African-American woman is carrying quads. The Asian woman is carrying a singleton. Only Jodi is smart enough to know that African Americans have the highest rate of multiples and Asians the least. The other six are somewhere in between. They have doll-like hair and the whole quilt is a work of art, true textile art. Jodi must have gotten off the bench each night and then pulled consecutive all-nighters to get this done in time for FedEx Friday.

This quilt deserves a much better viewing spot than in our house. If you know of a hospital or OBGYN's office that would like an extended loan of it, please let me know.