Our aunt passed away a few years ago. I say “our” because even though she was technically my husband’s aunt, after 35+ years of marriage, she had become my aunt too.

She was a lovely woman, full of life right until the end of her too-short life. I offered to make our uncle a quilt to remember her by, and he gave me a couple of boxes of clothes to work with.

I was expecting the bright colors she often dressed up in, but what I got was a few dressy things and a lot of her leisure wardrobe: knit tops, t-shirts, and knit shorts. I set aside the clothes for a while so I could figure out what to do. And then I learned about rag quilts, and the light bulb went on.

Using the fronts and backs of a dozen shirts including several from our aunt’s favorite vacation spot, Myrtle Beach, I was able to make a quilt large enough for our uncle to take a nap with.