The saddest yet most needed quilt are the ones being made due to a lost loved one. Whether it's from cancer, accidents or a life long lived, it always brings a tear to my eye. Clients like to send in notes/ stories with their tees. (It helps with the creativity part).
A friend from a lifetime ago, whom I did not keep in touch with, died in a motorcycle accident. Mutual friends contacted me and told me the sad news. I attended the funeral and saw many friends that I have not seen in over 15 years. I asked the parents if I could turn their son's clothing into a memorial quilt for his daughters. (I was the maid of honor at his wedding after all).
His button down shirts were made into pillows and all his shirts put into a quilt with a Harley Davidson fleece on the reverse side.
I don't keep in touch with the family, but I do hope that his daughters will find comfort when cuddling up with the keepsakes I made.