So What Happened with the Quilts?

That post that I wrote a week or so ago about being At My Wits End - remember that one?

Your response was amazing, actually. Very caring. Some of you understand me. Perfectly.

This is “The rest of that story”.

What ended up happening?

Short Version:

The company that flew in from the states and went to Ukraine immediately came back from Ukraine on Wednesday. Tim and his two daughters spent the night on Wednesday and flew out on Thursday to return back to the states from their weekend visit to Ukraine. So, there you are - my guest rooms were used.

Great!

Expanded Version:

We have some friends who are in the states now — the wife is Ukrainian and he is American. In 2022 he came several times and went with Mike to Ukraine to take aid. His wife also came over once as well. However, most of the time it was just Tim and maybe a daughter.

Anyway, this time the plan was to come with two daughters. And so he did. On the way in, we were told his Brother-in-law (BIL) was going to meet him here (driving in from Ukraine) and I was told the BIL was going to spend the night, while waiting on the plane to arrive from the states since it was arriving early in the morning. BIL also was going to have one or two kids with him. The information was sketchy at best.

So, I had to get the rooms ready.

Thus my crisis.

I had also fallen on that Monday and hurt my right arm so I couldn’t lift anything (I had left that out of the story but it was quite important in my life and added to my feelings of helplessness and frustration.) It felt like dead weight and I needed to move it with my left arm as I had no strength to lift it. I know—that’s a story for a different day.

It’s why my husband had to help me with putting of the quilts up in the room.

(I am doing better day by day - getting strength back in the arm.)

Anyway…

Tim and his girls and the BIL and another man came back to Poland on Wednesday from Ukraine. The BIL and van sped on its way after loading up stuff from us on Wednesday evening. Tim and girls spent the night with us on Wednesday. Their travel back to the USA started on Thursday early evening, so they essentially stayed for about 24 hours.

So what became of all those quilts?

They are ALL GONE!

I had chosen out dozens of quilts from that one room which used to be the girls’ and had them piled in the living room.

Last week I had some friends and neighbors come and take some.

On Sunday I took 10 to church and delivered three to a lady from Bulgaria who has been living here for years now - she had married a Polish man who ended up in jail, so she is here to stay with her two sons. She’s working but I know a little boost is always good for a single mom. She’s a sweetie anyway and always helpful and cheerful - and she’s made her own way - working and living very modestly.

By the end of Sunday I was down to 11 quilts to give away!

Anyway, I had sent 6 quilts with the van when it took Tim and the girls INTO Ukraine on Thursday - as I had them all packed up and ready. Then, by Monday I wanted/needed all the remaining 11 quilts out of my living room, so I went to the store, bought 11 pillows and microfiber blankets and made up 11 bundles with the leftover quilts, a new pillow, 4 pillowcases you all sent, and a blanket. By Monday at 1 pm they were all ready to go so if the van came back with Tim and the girls on Tuesday I was ready to pack up the van with the remaining quilts.

They came back on Wednesday but all was calm in my heart with the knowledge that the quilts were ready to go and the living room had room again for people.

In the meantime, I actually had two people who had taken quilts who wanted more for their friends and/or coworkers.

However, by that time, all were either completely packed up in their bundles for Ukraine or were gone already.

None were left. I had to tell them I had no more at this time.

 

The older of the daughters left us a note. :) Very sweet.

Even the rag quilt I had put to the side for a charity quilt I ended up sending home to Tim’s wife, Luda, with their girls and their bags. :)

I actually sent three quilts - one for each duffel as they needed something to help pad the breakable stuff they acquired while in Ukraine from Luda’s sister and family.



Rachel, 14, left, and Naomi, 13, right helping me put labels on hearts. Sorry Naomi that I didn’t catch that you had some things sticking out of your head (behind her).

 

The van going back to Ukraine. It was dark by the time it arrived on Wednesday evening. We packed up the van with some adult diapers, bed covers and these 11 quilt bundles before it headed on its way.

So….my point.

They are ALL GONE. Out of here.

Here is my list so far of my quilts I’ve given away. My goal has been to give away 10 more than I make this year. So far, so good.

That’s 81 in 2024 so far, in case you can’t read it! Of those 81, 71 are queen sized quilts!

And even though I had wanted to first give these to Polish people, I felt like I DID give at least the immediate Polish people around me first dibs, I also had an even stronger need to get them out “now”. I didn’t want to wait ANY LONGER to let them go. So, all together 17 of the 81 were shipped or rather, sent to Ukraine in a van. There they will be given to people who have lost everything in missile strikes. From what I’ve heard, some have already been given out.

I mean, seriously, how can you not be happy about that? I did include the letter with it that I included with the ones we sent in 2022 - updated some info and changed the date, etc.

I do have some quilts packed in my suitcases to go to the states and they are counting towards that total. Of course, there are also some tops that hopefully will get finished while there as well. :) (LOL)

So how did all this feel?

It felt like I ripped the Band Aid off instead of peeling it off slowly.

But we all know the pain is intense that when ripped quickly, but you get over it relatively quickly.

Now that the living room is empty and I can walk into my rooms- I do miss the idea of the quilts, but I’m fine. I really am. I very happy when I hear of people getting a quilt and being grateful! I love being able to walk in both rooms.

And I still DO have a back wall of quilts! :)

And I have a few under the other room’s bed. Just a few. (LOL) OK - I’ll be honest here - the under bed area is FULL - can’t put any more under the bed in the room with all the shelving and fabric. However, four of those are designated for this year’s charity fundraiser.

This is what it looks like with the bed up and made. :)

:) This is what it looked like under the bed. My husband put the Murphy bed up for me. He made it - but has never put the legs on it which is why the chairs are there - as they hold it up once it is out and in position.

I’m a work in progress, ok?

So in the end I am fine.

I’ve survived.

I am very glad that “I” did the decision making and not someone else who walked into my house and took over.

But it was that Monday late afternoon after I hurt my arm at about 1 pm when I was really willing to just say, “Let them go, move them out” without agonizing over each one. That’s when I started asking myself, “Becky, do you want this quilt enough to find space for it in the house?”. That was when I realized exactly how crazy it was to have so many quilts in that room that I could neither use the room for its intended purpose NOR use the quilts because they were all stacked up and piled everywhere.

And yes, I do have pictures of all the quilts I make these days.

Sadly, when I first started making quilts I did NOT do that. I wish I had. But that’s water under the bridge and I can’t go back and take photos now.

So, there’s only pressing forward and doing better from now on.

Thank you so much for coming along with me on this journey.

I appreciate you all so very much!

Becky Petersen8 Comments