A Quilt for the Retiree!
Over the years Nick has been collecting patches of other fire departments. He would exchange them by mail or while visiting an out of town department. He kept them in a drawer or two in his office at the department, or at home, until I decided to make him a quilt to display them. The finished quilt was a surprise for Nick's retirement. I only shared a small view in a previous post. Here's "the chief" and his Fire Patches Quilt!
I started the quilt a few years ago when our first grandbaby was born. The intention was that it could be hung in his office....but then life got in the way: holidays and family get togethers, big events and small, babysitting and playing with Gigi, vacations and two more granbabies. Other projects took priority and the blocks ended up in the closet of my sewing room along with several other UFO's (unfinished objects-projects)! Months later I put all the blocks together, and then completed the quilt just in time for his retirement last October.
One of our dearest friends embroidered all the ranks Nick held as a firefighter, which I appliqued on the top of the quilt. Just under the ranks, I also appliqued pictures of Nick; on the left is a picture of him on his first day as a firefighter for the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Department; on the right is a picture of him when he became the Fire Chief 5 years ago. Between the two pictures are the dates he was a member of the RSF Fire Department, also embroidered by our friend, Lynn (thanks Lynn!).
As an extra special touch, online I found the 9-11 Patch Project (a project established to pay tribute to the Firefighters, EMT's, Police Officers and Military personnel lost on 9/11 or as a result of 9/11) and ordered a special tribute patch for Nick's quilt. It is seen above.
We will never forget!
We will never forget!
Nick's Fire Patches Quilt is now prominently hung in our home for all to see. 
This quilt was a labor of love for a well deserved man who dedicated his life to serving others.
