Memory Quilt —"Star Memory Quilt"

Honoring, Celebrating, Sharing

This honoree's Memory Quilt square is sponsored by Blank Quilting, who joins The Alliance for American Quilts efforts to preserve the stories of quiltmakers for generations to come. Blank Quilting's Inspiration Guild project is a coming together of dedicated quilters to offer their talent and craft in the fight against ovarian cancer. Every quilt created by the Inspiration Guild bears the name of someone touched by ovarian cancer: a caregiver, victim, a survivor, a fighter. Visit Blank Quilting's website to find out more about this project: www.blankquilting.com

In Honor of Peggy (Click) Taylor

Peggy probably should have been a lifetime quilter, but she had a few other things to take care of first. She was the first of four children born to Dent and Francis Keller in Seattle, Washington in the late 1930's. She met her husband, William Click, at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington and the two proceeded to make a home and raise a family of four children in Vancouver, Washington. Bill was a math teacher and basketball coach. Peggy got all four of their kids into school before finishing her degree and becoming an elementary school teacher herself. She taught hundreds and hundreds of fifth and sixth graders with love, energy and innovation.

After retiring she began to enjoy their summer home at Black Butte Ranch in Central Oregon, but lost Bill to a heart attack. Peggy has since poured herself into the lives of her four adult children, their spouses, whom she considers her own, and her nine grandchildren-- the actress/singer, the rebel/athlete, the jokester/athlete, the cheerleader/athlete, the scholar/athlete, the superstar gymnast, the two athlete/cousins who should be twin sisters, and the youngest, who will probably be the best athlete of all. For two decades Grandma Click has been to many plays, countless sporting events, and just about every other important event in a grandchild's life.

During this time the wife/mother/teacher/grandmother became a quilter. It was something all her own, that makes her family quite proud. She's learned the art, become a innovator, and made many friends. Her home is decorated with her beautiful work. There are beautiful colors and patterns, and many spectacular images inspired by her adopted second home of Central Oregon. There are so many quilts that friends and family now display her work in their homes. Her stitching legacy now stretches from the Northwest to Los Angeles and Ohio.

All those grandchildren have their own hand-made quilts, of course. A family treasure is a photo at the Oregon Coast of all nine cousins and their Christmas quilts made with love by their grandmother. Those were special because they were early editions. Now, each grandchild gets a big, personalized quilt on his or her 18th birthday. It's meant to keep them warm when they're away at college, and does. But it also warms their souls with memories of a loving woman, who has been, and always will be with them in some way.

Peggy remarried Al Taylor in recent years. They live year-round in Central Oregon, but get back to Vancouver many times a year. Since 2003, Peggy has bravely and selflessly fought cancer, and continues to live a full life-- just a few more doctor's appointments than she'd like. But that's just more time to cut and stitch in the waiting rooms. And she's still a teacher, passing on the love of quilting to daughters and granddaughters.

View the Inspiration Guild quilt made in honor of Peggy (Click) Taylor including photos of many of the quiltmakers who contributed blocks at http://www.blankquilting.com/inspirationguild/vqjuly.asp