This week, we had the pleasure of interviewing Doris Whitehead, who inspired us with a special project she is working on for her great grandchildren. Doris, at 84 years old, counts herself fortunate because she has 10 great grandchildren all of whom live within 15 minutes of her Virgina home. She has a wonderful relationship with them, all ranging in ages from 6 to 20 years old. Doris knows how lucky she is, not every family can enjoy four generations living at the same time.
Doris likes to spend her time doing activities, with one of her favorites being crochet. She says if she doesn’t crochet after dinner, she’ll just sleep all evening. She keeps her mind busy by working on her special project.
At age 84, Doris started making secret gifts for her great grandchildren. Doris knows that she may not always be around for the special events in her great grandchildren’s lives and wanted to leave them a gift from her for when the occasion arises. Doris is diligently working on 10 baby blankets and 10 full-size afghans for her 10 great grandchildren.  They will each have a special gift from her for when they get married and when they have their first child.
The great-grandchildren are unaware of her gift, the afghans and blankets are being stored as they are crafted in a cedar chest. Doris’s children and grandchildren will distribute them when the time comes. Doris may never see her great-grandchildren get to appreciate the hard work and the time she has devoted to them but with every stitch, she is determined to wrap her family in love for generations.
Doris originally got the idea from her Mother-in-law. When she and her husband were engaged she received an afghan and then received a quilt as a wedding gift. She treasured that quilt for many years. To make the quilt, her Mother-in-Law took scrap pieces of her husband’s (Doris’s father-in-law) work shirts and used them for fabric in her quilting.  It was well loved and over time the stitches began to tear. Doris found inspiration from an idea off of
pinterest.com to cut out blocks of the quilt that were still in good condition and frame them. The quilt that was a staple in her home for years became a Christmas gift to each of her children and grandchildren in 2015. Last year Doris crafted and framed them dollies as well so they would have something from her to place on their walls too.
Nothing is better than a handmade gift that can be passed down for generations. To us, it really means a lot that our products can mean so much and contribute to these family passings. Thank you Doris for inspiring us with the love of your family. We would love to see other handmade items that have stayed within families for generations.  Please share!
