Lana Adkins does not care whether the quilt handmade by her friend wins any awards.
She just wants lots of people to see the quilt that reminds her of her son, Russell, who died in an automobile accident at age 22.
That is why she entered it to become part of the Culture Center's juried exhibit of quilts and wall hangings. Although it was accepted as one of 70 artworks now on display, the quilt, entitled "Tee Shirt," did not win any awards.
"I just wanted everyone to see my quilt," said Adkins of Eleanor.
Before the exhibit she had been carrying it around in the trunk of her car so she could show it to virtually everyone she met.
Her son, Russell A. Hughes, died May 27, 1995, from injuries received in an accident when his truck flipped over on W.Va. 62 south of Buffalo. Ten days earlier, Adkins' father had died.
After Russell's death, Adkins saved his T-shirts, hoping some favorites could be turned into a quilt as a reminder of the life of her only child.
The shirts reflect the things he loved like Mountaineer football, NASCAR racing and deer hunting. However, he most enjoyed serving as a volunteer fireman for the Eleanor Volunteer Fire Department.
He designed a logo for the department two weeks before his accident. His mother followed through with his plans to put it on T-shirts, and she saw that all of the volunteer firemen got one. The firemen also have a patch with that logo on their dress blues.
A yellow shirt with the logo Russell designed is displayed prominently in the quilt along with several of his favorite T-shirts.
Adkins, 60, had someone lined up to create the quilt, but that person became ill and could not do it. She tucked the shirts away.
About 15 years ago, she had met Glenna Racer-Riggan of Hurricane through a mutual acquaintance. The women became good friends.
Lana Adkins does not care whether the quilt handmade by her friend wins any awards.
She just wants lots of people to see the quilt that reminds her of her son, Russell, who died in an automobile accident at age 22.
That is why she entered it to become part of the Culture Center's juried exhibit of quilts and wall hangings. Although it was accepted as one of 70 artworks now on display, the quilt, entitled "Tee Shirt," did not win any awards.
"I just wanted everyone to see my quilt," said Adkins of Eleanor.
Before the exhibit she had been carrying it around in the trunk of her car so she could show it to virtually everyone she met.
Her son, Russell A. Hughes, died May 27, 1995, from injuries received in an accident when his truck flipped over on W.Va. 62 south of Buffalo. Ten days earlier, Adkins' father had died.
After Russell's death, Adkins saved his T-shirts, hoping some favorites could be turned into a quilt as a reminder of the life of her only child.
The shirts reflect the things he loved like Mountaineer football, NASCAR racing and deer hunting. However, he most enjoyed serving as a volunteer fireman for the Eleanor Volunteer Fire Department.
He designed a logo for the department two weeks before his accident. His mother followed through with his plans to put it on T-shirts, and she saw that all of the volunteer firemen got one. The firemen also have a patch with that logo on their dress blues.
A yellow shirt with the logo Russell designed is displayed prominently in the quilt along with several of his favorite T-shirts.
Adkins, 60, had someone lined up to create the quilt, but that person became ill and could not do it. She tucked the shirts away.
About 15 years ago, she had met Glenna Racer-Riggan of Hurricane through a mutual acquaintance. The women became good friends.
When Racer-Riggan's husband bought her a nice sewing machine as a gift, it occurred to her that she should make the T-shirt quilt for her friend.
The only problem was she had never made a quilt. So she took a class to learn how.
Adkins washed the shirts in preparation for the quilt. As she did so, she laughed and cried. Most reminded her of events Russell loved. One was just a faded shirt he insisted on wearing because it was so comfortable.
When she gave the shirts to her friend, she didn't know what to expect.
Neither did Racer-Riggan.
"I wanted to make the quilt to comfort her," said Racer-Riggan, 58. "In class, the teacher said, 'There is no rule to a T-shirt quilt. Cut how you feel.' "
She believed the shirts should remain as whole as possible to reflect the interests of Russell, a young man she never met but feels she somehow got to know during the quilt-making process.
She started the quilt in November 2006 and presented it to her friend April 19, 2007.
"It was so much more than what I expected," Adkins said. "I just want everyone to see it because it's so pretty."
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History's exhibit "Quilts and Wall Hangings 2010" will be on display through Sept. 7 in the Great Hall of the Culture Center at the state Capitol Complex in Charleston.
Contact writer Charlotte Ferrell Smith at charlo...@dailymail.com or 304-348-1246.
