Quiltingboard Forums - A quilting memory of my greatgrandmother and her sister

Quiltingboard Forums (https://www.quiltingboard.com/)

- Main (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/)

- - A quilting memory of my greatgrandmother and her sister (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/quilting-memory-my-greatgrandmother-her-sister-t33948.html)

Thank you for sharing such a wonderful members.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cumberlandquiltchick

I guess I can post this since it's quilt related....
With having so many fires lately and sitting by them, my thoughts have gone back
to when I was a little girl. My greatgrandmother on my mother's side was "momo
Ossie" and she lived with her sister, "Aunt Bernice". Momo Ossie's husband died
when she was younger and Aunt Bernice was never married.
They lived going toward Baton Rouge, LA, north of New Orleans out in the country
where there were a lot of strawberry farms at that time.
I remember going to their house in the fall and winter and they had a fire in
the living room and their quilt frame was lowered from the ceiling. ALL winter
long they would make quilts. Aunt Bernice would sew on the treadle machine and
momo would always be hand quilting while she was sewing or sometimes they would
both be quilting, mostly in the evenings. There was always a large quilt on the
frame and in the evenings when they were finished, or when they had company and
wanted to visit, they would raise the quilt frame up toward the ceiling and tie
it off over on the wall. It was sort of a cleat I think.

By spring time, they had made MANY quilts of all sizes and colors. We always
went there for Easter and many times around this time of year. The folks from
New Orleans and Baton Rouge would come out to pick strawberries and they would
go past their house. They would hang their quilts on the clothesline and put a
sign out QUILTS FOR SALE. They also sold eggs, pecans, jams from local
strawberries, etc. The "rich folks" from the city would stop and by their
quilts. This would give them money to restock their fabrics and supplies and
extra spending money. They were always so happy when they sold a quilt.

Of course, they made all of us kids one and our parents. I still have mine, but
some were just worn out with love and use. Momo Ossie lived into her 90's and
Aunt Bernice lived to her late 70's. After Aunt Bernice died things were never
the same. Momo Ossie had to move near one of her sons and lived in a tiny little
trailer next to his house so as to keep her independence right up till she died.
She always continued her quilting and gave them to family. She always made pecan
pies up till the end and loved to cook chicken n dumplings and all kinds of good
food.

Those have been my thoughts lately and just wanted to share them with you, my
quilting friends, as I know you have fond memories of your own.
Thanks for listening.
Sandra

I have a similar quilting memory, only my grandmother had a wooden quilting frame that was set up in the living room during the winter in their house on the farm, and it almost always had a quilt on it when i got to stay there. It was where I took my first stitch on q quilt my grandma and one of my aunts were tying. I was 4 years old and wanted to 'help', so I was allowed to poke the needle down into the quilt, but had to crawl under the frame to pull the needle all the way through, and then push it back up again. That quilt frame went to town when Grandma and Grandpa moved off the farm, and Grandma usually had a quilt on it...almost always a Log Cabin. My sister now has that old frame, and a couple of years ago, when I went to visit, I thought I'd gone back to Grandma's house, because the frame was set up in her sewing room...with a Log Cabin quilt stretched on it ready for quilting! (The quilt was a friend's, but all of us grandkids did get a Log Cabin quilt from Grandma when we turned 18.)

What wonderful memories. I agree with all those who encourage you to write them down, especially for your new grandchild. I am from New Orleans originally, but all my people were Landrys from the Lafayette, Louisiana area. Isn't it wonderful how those lovely quilting women in your family have left you with such memories. They stay with you forever. My husband made my mother and me a quilt frame that hung down from the ceiling. We found a photo of such a frame in an old magazine, and he was able to build one. Whenever my mother came up to Virginia to spend summers with us (when we were posted back to the States), we would lower the frame, put a quilt top in it, and mom would quilt all day. I have pictures of her doing just that. My daughter, who was only ten then, would also quilt as would my best friends. Since the quilt top was pieced by my mother's oldest sister, this quilt has three generations of the women in my family in it. I wish we lived closer so that we could get together in a quilting bee and reminisce. Thanks for such a lovely memory.

Ah, those are great memorial stories--and a tribute to your families. I think this bears a reminder to all of us quilters: Make sure to document and label your quilts. They truly are part of our family history, and the information about them needs to be handed down, just like the memories in our heads and our hearts.

Great memories, I don't have any like that, I'm sure my Grandmother probably made quilts, we didn't live close to have many memories of her. My Mom had quilt tops that I can remember, never quilted any with five kids there was never enough time nor space nor money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cumberlandquiltchick

It was a frame that was "old" to them. It was just 4 long strips of wood joined at the corners. I think it had screws w/twist on/off bolts so that it could be taken apart. Then there were ropes/cords going up to the ceiling through hooks in the ceiling and they would pull the ropes to raise and lower and then tie off at a cleat over on the wall.
I'd love to find one of these old frames. I don't remember how they attached the quilt exactly. I want to say some kind of spring clamps, but remember it being rolled under some. I'd crawl under it and play and look up through to see the light coming through and them sewing.

We have one of those stored in the attic. It belonged to my late MIL's aunt and will be given to another family member at some point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cumberlandquiltchick

My mother and granny quilted on a frame like this. I think they just have long spike nails dropped in holes in all four corner the hold the frame square.
The frame board had hole drilled down the length evenly spaced and when they attached the quilt they whip stitch the quilt on the frame using the drilled hole for the needle and thread to go through.

I also use to play under the quilt frame...had to because the quilt covered most of the living room.

I have some similiar memories of my Aunt Bernice Clark from Independence, La who made satin quilts and sold them. Her daughter, Bessie Clark, helped her sew them in their home. They are both deceased now.

Sandra,

What a rich legacy. Thank you for sharing your story. I could "see" them quilting together.