Memory quilt

At last I can tell you about my secret project!
My friend Vera and myself made a memory quilt for our dear friend Truda who, after 7 years in Dubai, are moving back to South Africa with her family. I have talked about saying goodbye before - it is one of the few bad things about being an expat - friends never stay around long enough...

myself, Vera and Truda

After making and remaking lists of friends to include, we gave each person a square of white linen to decorate with messages and memories as they see fit. We were overwhelmed by everybody's creativity and love! We received everything from embroidery, painting, applique,printing, writing and beadwork to include in the quilt.

The finished quilt

We decided to use camel blankets to frame the blocks and bind everything together. Camel blankets are used to cover racing camels before and after racing and can be bought at the Camel Souk in Dubai. You will find a stack of camel blankets in every expat home in Dubai, being used for everything from tablecloths to picnic blankets to bed covers ... and we knew Truda loves them.

racing camels covered in camel blankets

Here are a few close-ups of some of the handmade blocks...

An embroidered portrait of Truda and her family

A beautifully appliqued heart with a scroll. The scroll contains photos and memories of a trip to Israel. A real treasure!

A beautifully embroidered heart and rose. The stitchwork on this block is exquisite!

A quilted Christmas star by a master quilter

A painting of a few Dubai memories

A handpainted vine branch

Another beautifully embroidered heart and flowers.

embroidered 'portrait' of the chorus

It was a real honor to make a lasting memory for a wonderful friend. I pray that their new life in South Africa will also be filled with great experiences, good friends and many blessings.