The Quilt

Regular readers may recall that I won this fine quilt. Fine, handmade, HUGE quilt. Even hand quilted. It has been stuffed in a big trash bag and is on the floor by “Carlton’s side” of the bed here in the Kona Seaside.

I wish I could figure out what to do with it. Get it shipped back to the Old Bat Cave, I guess.

Refresher. I did massive downsizing last year. And, had a studio apartment renovated to my specs. I has two gray walls. Pictures were framed to go on those two walls. My bed, which I had built 50 years ago in Hawai’i is queen size and has 12 drawers. My clothes are in one side – and “Carlton’s side” is used for storage. Which is to say, the California king size quilt in the picture will cover the drawers. I am not sure that would be OK.

There is a trunk in the corner that Carlton liked. It is filled with old quilts. Quilts that I made. Quilts that my Grandmother made. Quilts that my Great grandmother made. (My Mother didn’t make quilts.) The quilt that is on the bed – I made. It isn’t finely made. Big applique. All machine work. Carlton died on that quilt.

These quilts have been a part of my life. They went to NPS jobs in the summer. They went to picnics. Cosy naps were taken wrapped up in them. A lot of sex was enjoyed under these quilts on cold nights and rainy afternoons. Babies played on these quilts. Cats purred happily on these quilts and kneaded little snags into the fabric. Coffee has been spilt on these quilts. And, tears shed. Did I mention – love made? And, this is just what has happened to these quilts since they have been a part of my life. Who knows what happened to them earlier. There are six quilts. The oldest dates from maybe the 1920s. The “newest” – I made in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

Which brings up the Hawaiian quilt. A beauty. But, there is no room in the quilt trunk. There is no room for it in the Old Bat Cave. If I had gotten it last winter – I would have made room for it one of the walls. I would have had the walls painted beige. And, it would have pride of place on one of my walls.

But, quilts don’t belong on walls. They belong on beds. This new quilt deserves a life. It doesn’t deserve to be stashed in a trash bag in my storage cage.