Afton

My mother just offered to let me finish quilting some tops that my great grandmother (may she rest in peace) made. I am humbled to tears.

I love quilting, though I am quite new at it. I also hand piece and quilt simple designes like my great grandmother did. I admired all of her amazing quilts growing up. I remember her describing some of the fabric as coming from clothes of relatives that passed before I was born, and feeling like I was a page in a tome, a piece of something greater, just like one of my favorite fabric squares.

What are your memories of seeing quilts growing up?

wanda lou

lots of great memories, my grandma's all of them quilted.
And Like you I have quilt tops from the 1900's that need to be finished, I plan to finish a couple and pass some on to my daughter.

gal288

I've told this story before on the board, so sorry if your've already read it.

Growing up in upstate NY on a dairy farm, there wasn't much to do in the snowbound winter. My Grandmother, Mother, Aunt, & I would embroider, piece and quilt baptism bibs for the new babies coming into our church. That is where my love of needlearts started.

We would also make quilts from old clothes, of course.

As a young bride, I was delighted to discover that my new Mother-in-law also quilted. We lived in a 2 family together, and in the evening would work together on our current quilt. She taught me how to english piece a grandmothers flower garden quilt, totally by hand.

All are gone now, just me to quilt. But as I take every stitch their guidance and love are with me.

I have taught my daughter to quilt, when she was younger & home, we would work together. Now she has a family & home of her own, every room has a quilt in it, some made by her, me or by those gone. She works, has a baby, and is working toward her Masters Degree in Education Administration, so quilting is on hold for now. But she assures me that when time presents itself again, she will get back to it.

I look forward to the days when we can quilt together again.

betlinsmom

Both my grandmothers quilted and I got to see some of my Granny ( on my Daddys side) quilts and watched her do them. My younger sister and one niece quilt but dont have much time for it now due to young family and work but, I quilt everyday and NEED to quilt everyday. I am thinking of joining the Seniors group locally , if they will have me. I wish I could have shared quilting with my grand mothers.

Dandish

Nice stories.

I have no memories of quilts growing up. My mom sewed, but not quilts. I'm not exactly sure where my love of quilts/quilting came from. I know it was nothing more than a romantic notion for a long time - quilts always gave me a feeling of nostalgia, simple living, fellowship with other women, comfort and love. It was after my mother was ill (she had terminal cancer, but I didn't know that at that point) and she brought me her old Kenmore in a cabinet sewing machine from 3000 miles away, that I got an interest in even trying to sew anything. It sat for a long time after a stab a making clothes for my toddler boys failed. Several years after that I got the notion to TRY a small wall quilt. That wall quilt grew and grew into a queen-ish size quilt, and it's all history from there.

Beaglemom59

As kids, we would "camp out" in my grandma's living room, sleeping on old canvas and wood army cots, and covering up with thick, heavy, hand tied wool quilts. All I have to do is shut my eyes and I can still remember what the felt like and smelled like. Just wonderful!