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A Graduation Quilt and a Mother’s Reflection

That’s a wrap on graduation… 🎓 A few months ago, I shared about the t-shirt quilt I was making for Lucas—carefully sorting through over a decade’s worth of shirts I had saved from his childhood. Band, sports, theater, fundraisers… each one told a story, and together they captured a journey. We decided to give him…


That’s a wrap on graduation… 🎓

A few months ago, I shared about the t-shirt quilt I was making for Lucas—carefully sorting through over a decade’s worth of shirts I had saved from his childhood. Band, sports, theater, fundraisers… each one told a story, and together they captured a journey.

We decided to give him the quilt the night before graduation. My eyes filled with tears as I handed over this gift that I had poured my heart into. But to my surprise, the reaction I got wasn’t quite what I expected.

Lucas was grateful—he appreciated the thought—but when I asked where he wanted to put it (his bed? dorm room? hung in the man cave?), his response was a simple: “You can just put it away.”

Oof. That hit me harder than I thought. I walked away feeling defeated, wondering if all the emotion and energy I poured into this gift even landed.

But the next morning, with a fresh perspective (and a little more sleep), I realized something important: the quilt wasn’t really for him. It was for me.

So I decided to hang it downstairs in his man cave—not because he asked for it, but because I need the reminder. Every time I head down to the laundry room, I can look up and see that quilt. Not for the shirts it’s made of, but for the little boy I see in every single one of them.

He may not want to wrap himself in that quilt right now… but who knows? Maybe one day he’ll come home and find me wrapped in it instead.

It hangs there now as a quiet reminder—to celebrate the journey and embrace the change.

And as I was sharing all this with my mom, she gently reminded me of the quilt she once made me—stitched together with baby items from all of my kids. It’s been tucked away in a closet for years.

My goal by the end of summer? To hang that one up too. Because these quilts aren’t just fabric and thread. They’re motherhood, memory, and milestones—all stitched into something that tells the story of love.

This was made locally but I know that you can get this made at Project Repat 


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