One of the local teachers asked to borrow one of my quilts as her class was reading Little House in the Big Woods and she wanted a prop to show them what real quilting was and how it was done in the back of a covered wagon.

After school that day, I picked up the quilt and then went to be with DD#2 while she went through cheerleader tryouts.  Every mother that was there with their daughter knew that I had a quilt, what it was used for and that I had made it. 

Unfortunately, it was cold out – and when the girls finished their try-outs, we went inside.

And I forgot the quilt (in a zippered plastic bag) on the picnic tables that are between the high school and gym, what with all of the excitement of the try-outs.  A group of 12-13 year-olds sure have emotions that fly from one end of the spectrum to the other.  So much so that I didn’t give the quilt another thought until that evening when we got home.

I was sick.  But, figuring we live in SUCH a small community, I was expecting someone to turn it into one of the principals or a teacher or SOMEONE. 

Unfortunately, there is someone in our close-knit community who isn’t as honest as I expect from my children. 

My husband went early the next morning and checked the area, checked the trash cans and didn’t find it.  I emailed the principals, emailed a note to the local paper – all to no avail.  No one is fessing up to the theft.

The really sad part of it?  That quilt was chosen by my cousin for me to give to her daughter, who had a baby earlier this month.  My cousin who passed away less than a week after she picked out the quilt for her not-yet-born grandson. 

After spending a month searching and being sick about it, I did what all quilters do – I wrote it off as a very bad experience with sadness and prayers for the thief…and I made a new quilt.  Same colors.  Same design.

I hope my second cousin likes it, and I know they’ll treasure it because her mom chose it for her grandson.  But, a part of me is still going to be thinking of that quilt and the person who stole the original.  Pretty sad to live around dishonesty.