When I first laid eyes on this quilt pattern, I was instantly transported back to my childhood, to memories of my Aunt Bill—a woman who was every bit as unique as her name. She always wore a dress and apron, no matter the task at hand. Cooking, cleaning, mowing the lawn, or even tending to (and yes, sometimes butchering) the rabbits she raised—she did it all with a quiet grace and a steady hand.
She was my grandfather’s sister and, to me, one of the sweetest souls to ever walk this earth. Some of my happiest memories are wrapped up in the simple adventures she took us on. Once a month, she’d load me, my mom, and my two siblings into her single-cab pickup—no seatbelts, just all five of us squeezed in like sardines—and head to town. She always carried a cooler with a jug of ice cold water. Our first stop was always Murphy’s Department Store at Town & Country Plaza to pick out new fish for her many aquariums. On the way home we would stop at Henry’s Hamburgers on Pace Blvd, home to the best burgers in town. Neither of those places exists today, but in my heart, those days remain vividly alive—filled with laughter, the smell of grilled burgers, and the comfort of belonging.
When I saw this pattern by Lori Holt, made with her beautiful Mercantile collection, it felt like a hug from the past. Lori has been one of my favorite designers since I began quilting in 2021, but this project is special. It’s more than fabric and thread—it’s a tribute, a stitched love letter to Aunt Bill and the world she created for me as a child.
The quilt top came together in October 2024, and by January 2025, I had her loaded on Miss Moxie to quilt. But when I took her off the frame, I discovered a major mishap—all the stitching had to come out. It was a heartbreaking and daunting task, and it took me months before I could face it again. But in early August, I gathered my resolve, loaded her back on the frame, and quilted her with the “Knit 1, Purl 2” pattern—the same one I used on Mr. Snowman. This time, she turned out better than I could have imagined. I don’t usually brag on myself, but these last few quilts have made me proud in a way that’s hard to put into words.
For the binding, I used leftover fabrics from each dress in the quilt instead of sticking to one solid color. It gives the whole piece a charming, whimsical edge that feels just right—like a little nod to Aunt Bill’s colorful spirit.
This quilt has been a journey of patience, love, and memory. And now that she’s finished, I’m more inspired than ever to get a few more tops on Miss Moxie in the coming weeks.
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| Stitched with love, sewn with memories. |
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| Every stitch tells her story. |
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| Quilting memories one block at a time. |
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| A tribute you can wrap up in. |
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| Binding the past to the present. |
