for liz

This is not a typical post for me.

This is a sad post in honor of my friend Liz.

My friend Liz died on Saturday. She should be celebrating her birthday today. Sadly, her cancer was cruel and unrelenting, so this birthday wasn't meant to be. Liz would tell you she did a lot of things she wanted to do in the past couple of years. She mostly caught up and shared laughs with family and friends, and she travelled. Liz fell in love with Africa. She gave me this amazing story quilt from one of her trips. She knew I would cherish it and that I would appreciate the great effort and handwork of the woman in rural Zimbabwe who made it. Liz wanted women to succeed, no matter the vocation or location.

The applique and embroidery are incredibly detailed.

Carefully placed stitches turn utility cotton into

the drawn, haggard face of an old woman.

Lovers...

...hands intertwined.

The sweet story is handwritten by the artist on a small piece of paper,

folded and tucked in a pouch in the lower right corner of the quilt.

Liz stories wouldn't fit on a tiny piece of paper.

The sweet and funny stories of her kindness need to be told again and again,

never to be forgotten.

For Liz.