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Quilt helps grieving mother heal
Posted: 07.30.2009 at 7:57 PM
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Woman makes giant Jesus quilt

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When Grace Turpeinen lost her son, Billy, in a four-wheeler accident nearly six years ago, she focused on her spirituality and a complex quilting project to help her heal.

"I just couldn't think of anything; I walked around in a fog.  I was watching my grandsons, who were two and three at the time, and I felt the need to do something with myself," said Grace.

It took her two-and-a-half years to get the quilt just right.  The finished product is impressive in craftsmanship and size, but it's also a beautiful tribute to her son.

"He'd think it was fantastic because he was a great artist.  He was a painter and he had an eye for art.  He would love it," Grace said.

Even family members are amazed.

"It blew me away.  I thought if every car went by and saw Christ, it would maybe change their lives," said Barb Turpeinen.

"It was awe-inspiring, it was just amazing.  Anybody who would see it, if you're a believer or not, it will touch you," said Liz Turpeinen.

The Jesus quilt is ten by eleven feet and is made up of 11,000 one-inch squares of fabric.  Each square is quilted with an individual letter belonging to 1 of 59 scriptures that Turpeinen says helped her deal with her grief.

While the quilt has very special meaning to her, she thinks it will touch others, as well.

"It's more than just a quilt and a picture to be displayed.  This is a human's version of who Christ is.  Who is Christ spiritually to those who look at the quilt?"

Turpeinen says the quilt is too big to hang in her own home.  She wants to share it with the community and hopes to have it on display at local churches and area festivals.

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