A Gift to Remember

Kathy Tidswell, who lives in Burtts Corner, NB, wanted a special gift for the 50th wedding anniversary of her sister and brother-in-law. With help from friends, she decided to make a quilt depicting her family home. To make it meaningful to her brother-in-law as well, she included the 1956 Ford Custom car he drove when he was courting her sister. 

50th Anniversary Quilt, made by Kathy Tidswell, 2015.

Kathy describes her process: “The internet made it relatively easy to get a picture, although there weren’t many with the rear view I wanted. I made the car with polyester fabric, to give it a sheen, painting it the light green that I remembered. I tried to create the house and yard of our youth using an older photograph, drawing the house and making appliqué patterns. I painted a background that included a willow tree long since gone, and a snowball bush, which my mother had loved and my father hated. I appliquéd the pieces using free motion embroidery and added a few flowers and the trees. For the final touch I placed the car in the driveway.”


The anniversary couple received the quilt at a family gathering held on the day after the big event. Kathy's sister first spotted the car. Her brother-in-law, clearly delighted, took the quilt around to show it off to everyone in the dining room. 

Kathy’s website features more of her work.