One for the history quilt: Woman makes memory quilt as gift for retiring caretaker
When she learnt that her caretaker was retiring and returning home to the Philippines, a Singapore woman decided to give her something that encompassed some of the memories and moments she shared with the family over the past 34 years.
Derlyn, a quilt-maker who sells her crafts online, made her Yaya (a Tagalog term for a caretaker) a memory quilt made from her nieces and nephews' clothes.
Each family member also wrote a message for the caretaker on the quilt.
She shared the process of making the quilt and eventually giving it to her caretaker in a TikTok video.
"Auntie has been taking care of my two sisters and I for the last 34 years," Derlyn said in the clip. "She's basically a permanent fixture (in the family)."
"I felt that it would be meaningful if she could bring home a part of us with her."
@quiltedbyderlyn I finally gave my Yaya her quilt. She leaves in the middle of June, and buying her flight ticket was unexpectedly heavy and difficult to do ? Goodbyes are tough. So I’m already checking out tickets to fly her to Singapore soon! ???? #memoryquilt #partinggift #keepsake #farewell #goodbyes ♬ Menyentuh Hati - Yuda pratama
Not wanting her Yaya to cry at the airport, Derlyn decided to give her the quilt at home.
Derlyn noted that her caretaker held the quilt up and was “crying behind it”. She then sat down with Derlyn, and the two reminisced while looking at the “nostalgic” fabric.
"We later went into the room and had a little bit of a cry," Derlyn said.
In the comments, Derlyn shared that her Yaya has been sleeping with the quilt every night since receiving it.
"Even if she doesn't get to see us every day anymore, she still has this," she added.
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