What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?

“My grandmother’s sewing machine. My mom gave it to me. I make memory quilts now, graduation quilts and bride quilts, and quilts and quilts and quilts. I watched her growing up. She sewed our clothes and our curtains and all that kind of stuff. She lived with us our whole lives. My grandmother instilled in me to put other people before myself. She always put other people before herself. I do that. I’ve made over 400 quilts. Like if somebody’s dad passes away, they send me all his neckties, and I cut them up and make them into a quilt. Or a son passes, and they send me all his T-shirts or his basketball uniforms. I think about what I do all the time. It breaks my heart because I’ll hear the stories. When I’m starting to cut up the stuff, it’s like I’m taking apart something that was whole, but then I’m turning it into something that’s whole again.” – Alethia Newby of Springville

You can see her work at  www.facebook.com/Sewneedlelittlelove.

Alethia Newby of Springville makes memory quilts using her grandmother’s sewing machine. (Tamika Moore / People of Alabama)

These are the faces and stories of people from all walks of life who call Alabama home. People of Alabama is a Red Clay Media and Alabama NewsCenter partnership.