On Mothers and Quilts

Some years back my Mom decided to make a quilt for me and one for my younger, more impulsive brother Shotgun Bob.  Since old Bob was the youngest of the family and would raise a fuss if he wasn't first, Mom made his quilt before she made mine.  I maintain that she was just practicing when she made his, which likely drives my younger brother right up the wall.

Trying to get Shotgun Bob to assist in selecting a pattern was worse than pulling hen's teeth.  Cajoling him into helping Mom pick out the material was only a little worse.  Then Mom had the challenge of overcoming Shotgun Bob's sense of aesthetics, which could be charitably described as primitive.  Then there's the size of his bed to deal with.  Bob has a California king size bed.  What else?  It took Mom well over a year, but she persevered and finally got finished.

Shotgun Bob's Quilt

All of the quilting is done by hand.  That means needle, thread and fingers.  Dante the cat finds Bob's quilt very comfortable.

After Mom recovered from dealing with Shotgun Bob, she started the same process with me.  I resolved to cooperate, and let me tell you something gents, there is nothing to equal standing around in a fabric store while Mom and two sales ladies locate and retrieve a dozen bolts of fabric out of the eight or ten thousand on display.  The goal is to find complementary fabrics of a color that is suitable.  To give myself credit, I looked at quilt patterns everywhere and made a firm selection on the one I wanted.  Again, it took Mom over a year but she did say that mine was easier than Shotgun Bob's.  Well, I'm not surprised.  I've always been low maintenance.  The results of Mom's efforts are shown below.

French Braid Quilt

My Quilt, sans Dante the Cat

This is a princely gift for which I sincerely thank my dear mother.  Like Bob's quilt, all the quilting is done by hand.  When Shotgun Bob saw my quilt he said he liked mine better than his.  I'm not surprised.  I like mine better than his as well.

I ask you, how many boys are blessed to have a mother like mine?