Why quilts?

A quilt is more than just a device to provide warmth.  It is a comfort, a guardian, a keeper of memories.  A baby’s cot blanket should be treasured and used right up into adulthood.  It will keep your baby warm in his crib and protect him when he lies on the floor.  It will go with him onto his first bed, it’s reassuring presence a barrier against the night time closet monsters.  It will be an island, a tent, a wizard’s cape.  It will be dragged from bed to sofa for film watching and popcorn.  As he gets older it can travel to sleepovers and camps, protecting against homesickness.   It will go with him to college or university, and on into his first proper home, carrying memories of his childhood along with it.  One day, he’ll take it out and notice that it is a beautiful thing, made even more so by the memories it holds for him.  A quick run through the washing machine and it’ll be ready for him to tuck around his new son, a gift already saturated with love and history.  This is the magic of a quilt, for me.  Age gives them a unique value, gained through use.  Sure, one day they will wear out, but then, there will be something salvageable, some material which can be incorporated into a new quilt, giving it a head start.