Last March, as my family and I prepared to honour my mum, Patsy’s request, to “take me home, to Sligo” (back to the town on the West Coast of Ireland where she grew up) it struck me that I couldn’t ‘let her go’ without making one last thing for her!

I’d already designed and tested a prototype of the quilt block (based on a traditional Irish Chain Quilt), that I planned to make as a tribute quilt to honour ‘mo mhamaí’; her Irish heritage and her love of sewing. Therefore, using this pattern to create a very personal, bespoke version of it just for mum, was the obvious choice.

And so, with only two days to spare before we were to fly from Southampton to Belfast and drive on to Sligo, I set about making my mother’s Burial Quilt.

The story behind this pattern is one rooted in family, culture and powerful female role models. It came about almost accidentally but it was one of those moments that felt totally ‘right’ and completely serendipitous! It is a symbol of Springtime associated with light, healing and protection for the home from fire and famine.

This stand alone FPP block is available to download in my webshop and it includes 3 patterns in one, offering options suitable for confident beginners to more experienced sewers. The block was designed as an optional centre to the Take Me Home Quilt which will be available Spring 2025.