Coming of Age

In my early days of quilting, I remember reading about a tradition of presenting a son with a special quilt on his twenty first birthday. The custom (Amish, perhaps) represents the breaking of bonds with home and family as the young man ventures into adulthood and life on his own.

I liked the idea so much that when our younger son, Will, turned twenty-one we presented him with a “Coming of Age” quilt of his own. It's a Jacob’s Ladder design that I pieced together years ago and recently had machine quilted by Cheri Gabrielsen of Elmhust, IL. 

The name Jacob’s Ladder comes from Genesis 28: 11-22 and refers to seeking the Promised Land. Also known as Underground Railroad, the block represents finding the path to freedom.

I chose colors that reminded me of the boys growing up: their soccer jerseys, baseball uniforms, cub scouts shirts and blue jeans, high school band regalia, prom tuxes, and graduation gowns!

The Jacob's Ladder blocks measure twelve inches. I prefer a larger block in a masculine quilt.

It’s a bonus when the blocks form a secondary pattern where they intersect.

Once again, I chose the fan quilting pattern. It's my favorite design for traditional quilts.

Happy birthday to William, who’s been independent since the day he was born. He's handling the responsibilities of adulthood with maturity and grace. Dad and I couldn’t be prouder! ❤️