In Honor of Mom
07-17-2011, 09:13 AM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Waukesha, WI
Posts: 61
My mom will be 90 in October of this year. I'm finally taking time to photograph and label the quilts she made and hasn't given away over the years.
The first two photos show her very first quilt made in the midst of the Great Depression. As a young girl on Sunday evenings, she would walk the two miles to her Sunday School teacher's home. All the girls in her class would be provided fabric to hand sew one block. Mom's mother then helped her add a sash between the blocks and the border with the grandma's treadle machine. They then handquilted it together. When I pulled it out to photograph it, I noticed the blocks are not all the same size. They had to do some finessing with the sashing to make the blocks fit together but this just makes it more precious to me know this was mom's first quilt. My grandmother passed before I was born which makes it even more of a treasure.
The remaining photos show the last quilt mom was able to work on at age 87--just before dementia made it impossible for her to continue the activity that she has loved doing for over 70 years. The pattern is an album quilt that we had long ago decided would be donated to church for a fundraising bazaar. You may be wondering how I could give this last quilt away? I have kept my favorites and I know the quilts she donate to the church have always been purchased by people who know her and treasure having a keepsake of her and her work.
The first two photos show her very first quilt made in the midst of the Great Depression. As a young girl on Sunday evenings, she would walk the two miles to her Sunday School teacher's home. All the girls in her class would be provided fabric to hand sew one block. Mom's mother then helped her add a sash between the blocks and the border with the grandma's treadle machine. They then handquilted it together. When I pulled it out to photograph it, I noticed the blocks are not all the same size. They had to do some finessing with the sashing to make the blocks fit together but this just makes it more precious to me know this was mom's first quilt. My grandmother passed before I was born which makes it even more of a treasure.
The remaining photos show the last quilt mom was able to work on at age 87--just before dementia made it impossible for her to continue the activity that she has loved doing for over 70 years. The pattern is an album quilt that we had long ago decided would be donated to church for a fundraising bazaar. You may be wondering how I could give this last quilt away? I have kept my favorites and I know the quilts she donate to the church have always been purchased by people who know her and treasure having a keepsake of her and her work.
Mom's First Quilt - Age 13 (1934)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]227735[/ATTACH]
Block Closup
[ATTACH=CONFIG]227736[/ATTACH]
Her Last Quilt - Age 87 (2008)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]227737[/ATTACH]
Closup of a block
[ATTACH=CONFIG]227738[/ATTACH]
07-17-2011, 09:52 AM
#8
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: East Orlando
Posts: 121
I am so touched by your story. Thank you for sharing that and gives me the idea to help other young people learn to quilt. It is a treasure for your family to have that quilt and especially the story of how it came about.
07-17-2011, 10:19 AM
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Trego, WI
Posts: 1,871
Thank you for sharing these, and the story!
Now, I'm going to give you some advice which others gave me when I posted pic of some work done by my grandmother: for the sake of your children/the next generation, write each story down on cloth, and attach as a label to the back of each quilt. I am doing that, as my kids know nothing of my grandmother, and little of my relatives, as we got back there to visit only once a year. I want them to know what they have, after I'm gone, so at least they can make an informed decision about dealing with all of my stuff!
Now, I'm going to give you some advice which others gave me when I posted pic of some work done by my grandmother: for the sake of your children/the next generation, write each story down on cloth, and attach as a label to the back of each quilt. I am doing that, as my kids know nothing of my grandmother, and little of my relatives, as we got back there to visit only once a year. I want them to know what they have, after I'm gone, so at least they can make an informed decision about dealing with all of my stuff!
07-17-2011, 10:28 AM
#10
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Waukesha, WI
Posts: 61
Thanks for the advice regarding labeling. That is the next step in this process of photographing, recording, etc. I've been saving tips from folks on this board as initially I didn't know what would be the best way to do it. As alway, I now have so many wonderful tips from everyone on this board!
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