I have inherited the ones that my grandomothers did not finish. A wedding ring quilt started by my fathers greatgrandmother, finished by my grandmother and I am now quilting it. Then My maternal grandmother cut a thousand ( it sure seems like it) hexagons and started piecing them together and now I am trying to hand finish those and make it into a quilt for my mother. I am hoping I will finish both in time to give to my parents for Christmas. It is kind of like I will be giving myself a quilt because I know someday they will come back to me but hopefully not for a long, long, long time.

Will try to take and post pictures later. The colors of the tops are not my choice. Do not know what they were thinking. I also have a polyester top that my paternal grandmother made. She loved polyester.

Oh, I do think I have the start to a wedding ring quilt, too.

I have several from my DH family. One, was his DGM's baby quilt. We have dated it to 1900-01. It is a full size monkey wrench in red, white, and blue. We rescued it when my MIL passes away. She stored it in a plastic bag, in a ceder chest!!!!!
I made reproductions of it for both his brothers last Christmas. Will post a picture when I fiqure out how.
We also have a compass rose quilt and several polyester and wool quilts from his DF's family.

I fiqured it out!!! Forgive me, I'm very new to this, and I am not computer savy!!!
This is the one we dated to 1900-01

That is such a pretty pattern. Maybe you could draw templetes and post them ????? I've not seen that pattern before.

Quilt made by Great grandmother, GM, and my Mom, late teens or early 1920's.Mom was born 1897, and this was done for her "hope chest", but I don"t think they called it that back then. Quilt was always used, if not for the top of bed, thrn as a blanket. Fabric is thin, but really in very good shape.

Oh, that is so pretty! I LOVE double wedding ring, always a favorite pattern.

Oh, its so neat to see all the old quilts. I dont have any either, guess my family wasnt into quilting!

My grandmother had an auction and sold her farm when I was a young teenager. I was offered any of her things that I wanted but I was young and STUPID and took nothing. She had quilts that she made that I remember sleeping under: I couldn't even move under these quilts they were so heavy. My dad crawled under them when she was quilting them to send the needle "back up". I should have my ... kicked for not taking them ALL.

We have 2 family quilts on a wall rack in our bedroom. One was made by my husband's grandmother. It was an unquilted top when she passed away. My SIL had it hand quilted by "the church ladies" in Tulsa OK and gave it to us for our wedding in 1981. The other is a tied log cabin quilt made by my grandmother. My mother gave it to me a few years ago. I don't know exactly when these quilts were pieced. We treasure them. Sorry I don't have a photo to post right now.

What beautiful quilts! It makes them even more special that family members made them. Here are mine from my great grandmothers.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-3943-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-3941-1.htm

I have three quilts my dear grandmother made and one my aunt, whom I am named after, made for me. I have three children and each of them have an heirloom to pass down to their children. My son grabbed the one my aunt made for me????? She made it while taking care of her mother who, in her last months, was bedridden. One of the quilts grandma made was with scrap material from my Mother's material of blouses and my neices little summer outfits. They are real treasures to me.

I have 2 from my husband's family. They weigh a ton. One was made with very heavy fabrics and tied.

I have a quilt rack with three generations of quilts - one crazy quilt that my grandmother made for me, one sampler that my mother made for me and a memory quilt that I made for my husband and I (not to be slept on). They will be good to pass on to my granddaughter. Edie

What beautiful quilts and great stories. Sadly neither my mother nor my grandmother quilted or sewed. My mother did teach me how to embroider when I was about 8 and my grandmother crocheted doilies. She tried to teach me and I just never got it as a teenager. I finally learned in my late twenties and made a doily to show her but she died before I could give it to her for Christmas.
I do have some album blocks that were in a box of scraps my step great grandmother gave me but I don't know if she is the one who did these or not. I did put them together in my one quilting class years ago and tied it. I sometimes wonder if I should take it apart and do it right. The sashings don't match up.
I just love the old fabrics. Since Nana sewed I am guessing she was the one who did the blocks.

You can start the tradition!!!!!! Make heirlooms for your family to add onto if you can get anyone to start quilting, if they don't already do so :roll:

I LOVE THIS QUILT....!!!!! EVERYTHING ABOUT IT SAYS "HEIRLOOM"!

I found a quilt top in my husband's mother's house when she was moving from IL to FL 25 years ago. It was in a box in the attic and ready to be finished. She told me that she, my husband's grandmother & aunt used to sit on the front porch in Chicago, in the late 1930's and chat and work on the quilt. They got the material scraps from the dress factory a few doors down. I kept it in my closet for years, and never had the skills to finish it. (pictured) I've sewn clothing for years but never quilted.

I began volunteering at a church quilt group 5 years ago and eventually paid a friend to finish it. Since then, I've been bitten by the quilting bug and have made 6 or 7 charity tops myself.

I just completed a quilt on my own, start to finish, for my first grandson's 1st birthday next month! (also pictured) In fact, in this picture, I spotted a mistake I made, but of course, it's too late to fix it. No one but a quilter would see it, certainly not the baby! I'm going to call it "A hug from Grandma". Any suggestions on the dedication patch? I'm not much of a hand sewer and I don't have a hoop.

I cleaned out my sewing room this spring and gave away all my clothes making supplies and kept all my quilt supplies. My next project is a quilt for my grown son's bed. And I'm cutting squares from worn out blue jeans for a future project.

My daughter doesn't sew and has no interest in it. Neither does my granddaughter. I tried with my DGD but no dice she made 1 quilt block. lol I have made quilts for almost every grandchild in the family. So at least they will all have one. I guess it skips generations in my family.

I have one from my great grandmother but it was never finished. I am not sure how to do it or if I should finish it.

OK, where, what is the mistake? I can't find it.

I have one from my mother's family...the history slip with it gives the info of who made it, where she lived and the year...1857! Wow! And, I have to tell you...it is the ugliest quilt ever...but I do treasure it. I just do not know what to DO with it?!! The very elderly cousin of my mother (and they are both deceased now) who passed it along to my family, was very much into geneology, history, antiques, etc so I do not doubt at all the validity of the information. I also have my patchwork quilt made by my grandma who passed away in 1966....she had made quilts for all her 11 grandchildren. Our moms were to give them to us when we married. The quilt she made for my brother (deceased) is at my dad/step-mom's house. I have been trying to think of a tactful way to get it.

Then, when cleaning out/going through things for my FIL now that my hubby's mom has passed away, I discovered a couple quilt tops that have never been sandwiched/quilted. He would like me to take them and do something with them...they are quite old...most likely ones from ancestors. My MIL was not a quilter. I imagine she just somehow acquired them and stuck them in the closet.

I have a quilt that was made by my maternal grandmother. She died in 1941, my mother was the youngest of seven children. I don't know when my grandmother made it. It was kept in a trunk for me by my mother, she died in Feb. 1994. I just took it out this past winter, it really needs cleaned but I don't want to hurt it.
I will try to post a picture of it later.

I have several my grandmother made. I found one top that wasn't finished and at the time I didn't quilt. It was wrapped in a newspaper from about 1930 something. My DD took it and had a lady finish it for me. I was amazed when I got it back. Some of the pieces shredded when she washed it and she was able to match the pieces and you can't tell which are the new ones. She did a beautiful job and was all hand quilted.

I have a few. One was given to me by my grandmother, and she said her grandmother (or great grandmother, not sure which) made it as a young girl. It is all hand pieced, and hand quilted. But the seam joining the 2 pieces for the backing is done by machine, and the binding is the back brought to the front and machine stitched down. <G> It has been dated to the mid 1800's.
When my grandpa passed away, my mother found a quilt top in his stuff. She recognized pieces from her kindergarden dresses, so it was pieced in the mid '30s perhaps into the early '40s. I have it basted and ready to quilt, but am a bit leary about doing it. <G> Oh it is a Boston Commons variation, or rectangular Trip Around the World.

When DH's mother passed away several quilts were found in the cedar chest. My sister-in-law thought that I should have a couple of them.
One is a pre-Civil War bridal quilt. Applique, in reds and greens. The quilting has hearts which defines it as a bridal quilt. It is gorgeous.
Another is a child's quilt, well used. It is appliqued and embroidered boys and girls. Over the years it has faded and some of the embroidery is worn almost off.
And when Dad was getting ready to move up with my sis-in-law they found another. It is in pretty sad shape, but another gorgeous one. Fancy Dresden Plate, with an "ice cream cone" border. And a faced edge. Not sure if I will try to repair it or just make a new one in that style.

They are all treasures.
Will try to get some pics and learn how to post them here.

Pati, in Phx

I have a few from my grandmother. The others were such treasures that I decided to donate them to the Latimer Quilt and Textile Museum in Tillamook, Oregon. I weighed the decision carefully, and the women at the museum were so gracious and thrilled to get them that I walked away knowing I'd done the right thing. I kept one that was a duplicate of the same pattern, and I kept the one she made especially for me. Also, there are two others that are so worn that I didn't think they were museum quality any more. Some day I'll restore them. They just need to be taken apart and resewn with fresh batting.

I have a couple of quilts from my husband's grandma who died a few months after we were married almost 30 years ago. She was a quilter and I was so sorry she died, we would have been best friends
The flower basket quilt was in the back of my husband's van when I met him, wrapped aound his tools. I took it immediately and told him if we broke up I'd give it bakc. It has a treasured spot in our home now

I have one embroidered quilt which is hand-quilted but with machine-stitched binding. My paternal grandmother made many hand-quilted quilts but I've always wondered about this binding. The other, apparently made by the other grandmother, is a log cabin made from strips of wool, etc. My Mother used to tuck it over us when we were sick and point out pieces from clothing she had. Wish I had paid more attention since both grandmothers were mothers before 1900.

Yes I do which I treasure. One is a hand dyed stippy dyed from feed sacks. The other is a diamond patchwork made from fabric from voil dresses. Back in the 20's and 30's voil was a heavier fabric than that today.
My grandmother quilting in diamond patterns with one direction on the sewing machine and the other by hand.

Be very, very careful!!! I'm the quilter in the family.
My grannma was a quilter and after she died I got 2 1/2 quilt tops. I felt bad that noone else had any even tho they quilt. I took the 1/2 which was a Grandmothers Flower Garden and picked it apart. I the turned under all the edges, wrote a short note and framed them for the rest of the family. Not 1 of my siblings or nieces ever said 1 word about them. I obviously am very jaded about sharing.

My mother passed away in December and going through her things I found my great grandmother's carriage robe. It is a baby size quilt. Crazy quilted with wools and clothing fabric. All the stitches done by hand. She was 96 when she died in 1963 so it has to be 143 years old. I am glad that there was a note pinned to it saying what it was.

I would make a label telling the story and stitch it on the back. the history of so many quilts is lost when there is no label to tell about it.

I have two quilts made by my great grandmothers mother. Ggma and her sister were very close and the sister had no children so when she passed away she had my grandfather in charge of the estate. He gave me her hand made cedar chest and inside were "two old blankets that I could let the kids finsh wearing out." I took them out and refolded them and put them back in the cedar chest (which is a beautiful piece of furniture that I treasure). About 20 years later, the city library had a guest speaker who was talking about old quilts so I put them in a grocery bag and took them in for her to look at. I carried them home as if they were made of glass. One is dated circa 1860 to 1870 with the newest fabric in it being an 1876 print put out just for the United States Centenial. The other was dated circa 1920. Both were made by the same person.....my ggg grandma, who was 1/2 Cherokee. Quilts are full of history. These old quilts we ae talking about, are the real works of art because so many of them are made with a newspaper pattern and cut out with scissors. The makers were very skilled for them to look so good and all done by hand.

I have one quilt from each of my grandmothers and one from my DH's maternal grandmother. My Mom's mom used unwashed sheep's wool as batting, men's flannel & wool shirt's & trousers for the patches. This is probably one of many utility quilts she made. They raised sheep on the farm they homesteaded in SD. My mom was born in a sod house in 1913. She was the oldest of 5 ~ and the 2nd was also born in the soddy. Then they built the 'real' house. Sadly, the only pictures of the soddy are of a corner and of a window ~ both with my mom as a baby in front of them.

I have NEVER seen a quilt like 'Mabel's Quilt.' It's absolutely beautiful. My husband spotted it from across the room and said 'I like that!'

Was your husband's grandma Mabel? I suspect that she designed this herself. There are so many unique things about it - the trailing ivy from the central basket - the inidvidual flowers in the outer border, the W I D E scallops - the twisted ribbon frame. I'm not usually drawn to applique quilts, but this one is VERY SPECIAL.

I can't believe he had his tools wrapped in it. Thank goodness they didn't ruin it!

Mom and my Grandmother got together with scraps of my "homemade" clothes and made five quilts for us when we got married. Today they would only fit a twin bed nicely. I've been married 51 years and through three children, I only have a piece of one and another one that is "lovingly used". My Mother in Law did not give gifts for special occasions. However, every year at some time or other she gave each of her children (5) a quilt, king size, before king size was heard of as all the family are large people. I have the two she gave us when we married. They are still performing well. One rides in our van all the time. Silvia

I have 12 squares that my great great grandmother sewed. They are roughly 12 inches with some pieces as small as my little finger nail. All hand sewn. These are well over 100 years old. Not sure what to do with them. My mom told me I should bring the old to the new and finish it with the sewing machine.
I also have 2 quilt tops that my MIL hand sewn when she was a very young girl. One is a Sunbonnet Sue.I'm not sure what the name of the other is but it looks like houses, possibly a school house. They are roughly 70 years old. When I told my DH I should finish them he thought they should be framed. I explained to him they are at least queen/king size and we don't have a wall big enough or the money to buy a frame that big. LOL Maybe I will surprise him. Finish one for Christmas and give it to him. My MIL passed away in 2003.
I will dig all of these out of my cedar chest and post picture's soon. I'm sure all of you great quilters out there can give me some ideas as to what to do with them.

I have a quilt my Grandmother made in the 30's or 40's. It has lots of feedsacks in it. It hangs above my bed as my headboard. I also have one of hers that I finished. All I need to do now is to quilt it.

I have a quilt from my Great Grandma, she made it when she was 70. My grandfather died when he was 90 and my mother lived to be 80. My great Grandma died well before I was born so we figure the quilt is about 80 years old. Iam 63. I have posted pic of the quilt just go to my profile and hit list and you will find it. It is a red work album quilt depicting the history of the US. Glenn

We have the quilt that my husband's grandmother pieced by hand when she was 95. It was the last quilt top she did although she lived to 2weeks shy of 10. Also have one his Mom quilted when she was in her middle 80's. Talk about treasures of the heart!!