Pieced and quilted by Kathy Cracroft Wilhelmsen (Draper, Utah ndash; spring 2006).

I made this little quilt (9 x 12 inches) for Ami Simmsrsquo; Alzheimerrsquo;s Art Quilt Initiative. Each month her website had a ten-day silent auction to sell a dozen or so of these little art quilts to the highest bidders. All proceeds went to research on Alzheimerrsquo;s Disease.

I made this quilt in honor of my mom. The music and piano fabrics, the color green, and the portion of a true loversquo;s knot block all have meaning as they relate to my mother. The quilt sold for $50, and the very next day I received this lovely email from the kind woman who purchased it:

June 16, 2006

Dear Kathy,

Thank you so much for making this beautiful little quilt! I love it. And the timing could not have been more fortuitous! Ami Simms has been in East Aurora, NY, where I live, this week.

On Tuesday evening I heard her speak at one quilt guild on ldquo;How Not to Make a Prize-winning Quilt,rdquo; and she had us all in stitches (pun deliberate). On Wednesday morning I went to the other guild meeting and heard her on the subject of the story-telling, learning quilts ndash; marvelous. Then yesterday I took a workshop she led on String Quilts ndash; today I put together the blocks from the strings ndash; got 22 blocks. And today your quilt arrived from the Alzheimerrsquo;s Auction! What perfect timing.

Musical ability is a big thing in my family too. My mother played the piano until this year when, at 91, a stroke and a fall made it just too discouraging. She has now shipped off her grand piano to my daughter, who lives in Florida and is a church music director, organist, piano teacher, and music director of local community theatre musicals. Jacki sight-reads Vivaldi with the ease I read a book . . . Irsquo;m in awe.

My husband earned his way through college and seminary playing the piano in a dance band and background music for dining. With him it just comes out his brain and flows down through his fingers.

I, on the other hand, simply ldquo;passed onrdquo; the talent. But I sew like a feind, and must have collected every music-themed fabric there is. So I was a natural to purchase your quilt. I will give it as a gift to Jacki (that daughter I mentioned).

I hope you have recorded your motherrsquo;s playing, even if it is somewhat diminished in quality. In years to come, that would be very precious to have. I know that there were recordings of my fatherrsquo;s sermons, which church members carried to shut-ins ndash; and I could kick myself for not asking for some of them when he died many years ago.

From your last name, I guess you have some Norwegian background. My mother-in-law was born in Norway. Small world!

Very best greetings to you,
Lucille Doxey (always called Lu)