The
blaze approached the city limits.
The winds had already arrived. Within minutes, the flames
reached neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city; within an hour, wind speeds
had doubled, driving flames through communities and toppling utility poles. The
resulting blaze killed 14 people, injured nearly 200 others
and damaged or destroyed nearly 2,500 homes and businesses.
In Dedication to the victims of the Gatlinburg Fire
From an idea of this quilter, to the generosity of
women from all over the world, “The Burning Leaves of Gatlinburg” quilt were
born...
After seeing the inferno that engulfed our beloved
neighborhood in Gatlinburg, TN, my heart could not rest until I set my fingers
busy to try and ease the pain of others that had suffered an even greater loss
than my husband and me. This was just our vacation home and we knew from
previous experience, in 2005, what it was like to lose everything to fire.
The Gatlinburg fires started during a drought that
made the fall leaves brilliant with color, colors of fire itself! With
this in mind my quilter's hands began to designed and cut a leaf pattern that I
set out to tell other quilters about. I would send the pattern to all who
would craft a leaf from it, return it, and then I would sew the beauty of the
falling leaves and the compassion of others, into the warmth of a quilt for
those who had lost so much.
The response was uplifting, the results were
beautiful, most of all, lives were touched... and none not greater than mine.
I received 213 leaves in total and they are still
coming. Four quilts are already made, one is donated, three more will be given
away soon, 2 more of these charity quilts are under the needle… Hopefully they will turn out my neighbors’
memories from burning to warming up their souls.
By Natalie Patton
