Can you say, "Last Quilt"?

Last week, I met with the lady who hand pieced this Grandmother's Flower Garden. She had it machine quilted by a long arm quilter in Nebraska and wanted to finish the edges in a traditional manner. Her quilter turned down the job. My daughter was offered the job and she passed it on to me. Now, let me tell you right now that I do not do binding! Actually I would if someone was willing to pay me enough, but my price is so high...no one has bought it. When I met Helen, she won my heart immediately. I sat for an hour looking over her quilt, listening to her stories of quilting and how she so wanted this quilt to be hand finished since it was her last. She has had a gradual decline in her eyesight and can no longer do the hand work she so loved to do. I understood what she wanted, but I could not bring myself to tell her how long it would take me to do this job. When I saw how the LA quilter had sewn right to the edge, nailing down every lineal inch of the octagons around the outer edge, and then running a continuous curve all round, and sometimes stitching the batting to the backing...I took a deep breath and said, "Oh, it will take a while to undo all those stitches, but it is not impossible." Oh how I wished the LAQ had just basted instead of stitching those edges! No one puts a traditional binding on a Grandmother's Flower Garden! Helen wanted the edging finished in what is called a "knife-edge" finish. That's tucking the edges inside the sandwich a quarter inch and blind stitching it closed. I have one side done, and am taking a break before I hunker down and finish the rest. No need to ask how long it is taking, and no need to ask how much it will cost. This is what I call a labor of love and it is priceless! Next time someone calls on me to do a hand finished binding, no matter how big or small, I will reply, "I don't do hand finished bindings unless you are over 90 years old and it is your last quilt! and you are willing to give up your children's inheritance." Sincerely, I do have a soft heart for situations like this and it is a rare opportunity to give back to our community. I think of my mother and my grandmother who stitched many hours unselfishly to provide for children, neighbors, and strangers...it's the least I can do.

Thank you for looking