Quilt #73 Terry Powell donated by Mary Duke and Stacey Tate

Stacey, Terry and Mary

 Quilt #73 was gifted to Terry Powell. Since being back in Utah, I have spent some quality time with Terry and really appreciate her strength. Terry embodies the concept of endurance. She suffers with a rare neurological disorder called Cervical Dystonia for which there is no cure.

The disorder is characterized by involuntary contractions in the neck causing pain. possible twisting and distortion of the neck. One of the things that helps Terry's symptoms are botox shots which she receives about every three months. The botox helps but she generally has a short period of time before the botox wears off and the spasms begin anew causing the contracting and pain all over again.

Mary and I had talked about making a quilt for Terry. At our weekly quilting get together, I was working on this quilt  when Terry volunteered to sew a couple of seams. She remarked on how beautiful it was and each additional step she seemed drawn to this quilt. At a certain point Mary and I decided to finish it together and that it belonged to her.

Every stitch was removed the first time

This was the first quilt I quilted solo on my long arm. After I finished the entire quilt I took it off the frame and noticed that one backside there was a fairly large portion where the tension was wrong which resulted in loose loops. I was heartbroken. I took it to Mary and she gently let me know that there were two choices--unpick the entire quilt using seam rippers or start over with new fabric. After a few tears, Mary and I began unpicking the stitches. Thirty hours and thousands of stitches later, it was time to sew the original quilt top with a new minky back. The second time there were no loose stitches and you would never have known.

I share this part of the quilt story because during this frustrating process, it made me think of what Terry endures. She is always in process of trying to get comfort from this  disorder. As soon as her muscles relax to the point that her neck and spine feel normal she knows that soon she will experience the tightening spasms. She experiences a period of pain to get to the part where she feels normal only to understand that she will start the cycle all over again.  I am so impressed with her as she endures these cycles with grace.

Ironically, we ended up gifting the quilt to Terry on  February 28 which is designated as Rare Disease Day.  Later the night Mary and I both received a text from Terry saying that each time she walked in and looked at her beautiful quilt, she knew it was stitched with love.

She is right, there is love in these stitches, including those that had to be unpicked...thanks Terry for the lessons you teach us all.

One of my favorites so far

After reading the post, Terry asked me to add this text response:

Oh my goodness Stacey, I can hardly see through all my tears. I'm not sure I'm worthy of all the wonderful things you said (she is) but I appreciate it with all my heart. I was truly drawn to this quilt while sewing a little on it not really knowing what it would look like. When the top was finished and I could see the whole design, it spoke to my heart. I'll always remember how much you struggled to finish the beautiful quilting. Just like the Lord works with us toward perfection, you never gave up till it was perfect for me! Whenever I look at it I know I'm loved. Thanks so very much. Love and hugs to you Stacey and Mary!

Quilt #72 Jan Sollis donated by Toni Martin, Ashlee Lloyd and Joyce Chinn

Jan Sollis and Toni Martin

Quilt #72 was created by Toni Martin and presented to Jan Sollis. I am so grateful for those who are participating in the creation and gifting of quilts as a part of The Duncan Project.

The Sollis and Martin families came to know each other well as their daughters grew up as friends and the families shared many events together. Jan was also Joyce's loving visiting teacher for over 14 years.

Toni wrote:

Ashlee, Jan, Megan, Toni and Toni's mother Joyce

While sitting in the memorial service for our family friend Tom Sollis, the room was simply filled with love. The Spirit whispered to me that Jan needed a Duncan quilt to honor her and her loving service. I shared this with my mom and daughter and we all felt  that this would honor both Jan and Tom. Tom's life was dedicated to family, his wife, hard work and loving and living the way the Savior did. Tom's life was lived with exactness in all things.

In the card I gave Jan that accompanied the quilt I told her that we made a heart quilt because it was symbolic of her great loves. First, the love that is shared in her large, beautiful family. They are a tribute to her and she is reaping what she has sown. Second, the love she has for Tom and the years of service she gave to him. Especially as he neared the end of his life. She was with him all day every day being his primary care giver and cheerleader.

Finally, her obvious love for, and trust in our Savior, Jesus Christ. I believe it is what carried her through and is still giving her the strength she needs to carry on without the love of her life.

Toni's daughter Ashlee was deeply influenced by this kind and loving couple and was there as well the night it was presented. Ashlee added, "Whenever you talked to Tom, he made you feel special and always had a kind word to say. Jan is equally loving, thoughtful and caring."  

Megan, Tom and Jan's daughter wrote this about her parents for this blog after Jan received the quilt:

Shortly before celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary Tom and Jan learned that Tom's prostate cancer had metastasized and was now spread throughout his body. For the next three years he would go through chemo, radiation and other various treatments. Through all this, our mom was by his side each day of those three years loving, supporting and caring for him, especially in his last few months of life as her care giving became a full time job. 

Two months before he passed away, the kids started helping with his care and were amazed as what she had been doing by herself, as they were now collectively trying to do. I think she would agree that though it was exhausting, it was fulfilling work. Our dad served everyone and it was a beautiful opportunity and an honor for all of us to serve him. 

I'm not sure how someone says goodbye to the love of their life but our mom is doing it and deserves a medal for her strength and resiliency.

We are all touched by the quilt she was given and all the work that went into it. As her daughter, I'm grateful to see that other people know how deserving she is of recognition and love. It's been a hard few years and that blanket is a beautiful reminder of how love is what helps us keep going and living.

Megan goes on to talk a little about her father and his life:

Tom Sollis was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and was one of the first 200 missionaries to enter the country of Italy. Tom served in the 142nd Linguistic Division of the National Guard from 1971 to 1977. He taught the Romanian language at the National Guard Armory in Salt Lake City.

Tom was a hard worker his entire life.  He had his first job at the age of 12 and as an adult became a Master Electrician and Contractor. He was a do-it-yourselfer and took pride in his work and loved helping his kids with projects. He loved his Heavenly Father and his Savior, Jesus Christ. He loved to serve and minister to others and always went about doing good. He cared about everyone  he came in contact with and helped them feel important and loved. He was an eternal optimist, always finding a reason to look on the bright side and be grateful in any situation. Tom was a wonderful grandfather and had a special relationship with each of his grandchildren.

It is very easy to see the concentric circles of love and influence that Tom and Jan had created both together and apart for this small season. I am so grateful they are part of The Duncan Project.

Love in the Stitches as they continue their journey.....