Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Blast from the past

Do you remember these great little '70's items? This folded card of instructions and pictures is from 1971. Did they make it back with the revival of '70's fashion? The quilt below is the third quilt that hangs on my dining room/gallery wall. I finished it in 1998. I started it in '96 or '97 but couldn't seem to make decisions on it. It was going to go to a gallery in Door County, Wisconsin where I sold my art. I tried to force myself to finish it before a trip up to visit the gallery, but just couldn't get it done. I told the wife of the couple about it and said I would have it ready for the next selling season (they closed for the winter). A few months later I heard she had ovarian cancer and she died that fall. I finished the piece and decided it would still go up there the next spring if the husband was going to continue the gallery. In the spring I waited to hear from
him as I usually did around April. In May my UPS man delivered a package to me and he also knew this couple who ran the gallery. I mentioned to him that I hadn't heard from the husband about when he would be down to pick up our work. The UPS man told me the husband had died of a brain tumor earlier that spring. I'm getting goosebumps and tears as I type this. That day is one of those memories that I can recall with detail, and the shock I felt that they were both gone.

I put a price on this wallhanging and showed it with other pieces to a prospective buyer. She bought a different piece, and I immediately decided I would not sell this piece. This piece has too many memories for me to part with it. They were a lovely couple and the four years of friendship and business dealings are a good memory and this piece constantly reminds me of that good time.

5 comments:

mzjohansen said...

Wow ~ That is quite a story !
Thanks for sharing !

meggie said...

I can see why you would want to keep that lovely wallhanging in memory of two friends. I got goosebumps reading the story.
We had lovely neighbours, & sadly the husband got cancer, & died slowly. His wife was just getting over it all, & she died suddenly 2 months to the day since he had died. We miss them still.

Colleen said...

What a touching story. It's always hard to lose someone you know and can be such a shock when not expected. I don't blame you for keeping it. It's soooo beautiful, also. I also love your fall wall hanging. Gorgeous!

TB said...

I think if I were in the same situation, I'd keep it too. No one else would understand the emotional connection and power that quilt has for you. It's a lovely reminder for you of them, and keeps them close to you.

The Calico Cat said...

Love the black on white (& white on black) ferns. My stash is full of those positive negative combinations.