Quilts

First, let me tell you the reason for this post. Before I had my own blog, my friend showed me this little crafting blog, Sew Much Ado. Ha, ha! Not so little, anyway, she said I should try something she saw on it. I had never read blogs before and I was instantly hooked. I didn't know what following was, but I would check her blog every day and started looking forward to her "Flashback Friday." I liked Flashback Friday so much because for one, now that I'm older I really appreciate history and secondly, I never really knew much of my own family history. So, when Abby stopped doing her Flashback Friday I had to contact her and tell her I missed it. I did and told her about my quilts. She mentioned it would be great for Flashback Friday. Well... I became inspired.

First, I want to show you this little priceless (to me) item I have that was my grandma's. My dad had it for years after my grandma died, but it was my oldest sisters. When my dad died, she said I can have it because I sew and she doesn't. She may take it back some day, but in the mean time I am enjoying it.

Ok, now on to the quilts... If you've been following my blog, you know by now I am not a quilter. I absolutely LOVE them, but as I have mentioned a time or two, I don't like sewing squares, things that become a square or anything to tedious or complicated. I'm just too impatient. It's funny though, I have always admired quilts and looked at many of them with awe.

When I was a kid for as long as I can remember there were hand made blankets all around either sewn by my mom, my grandma on my dad's side or crocheted by her. My grandma was deaf, so we never talked much, but I very much admired her. I remember every Christmas getting a matching crocheted blanket and slippers. I loved getting those and wearing them all the time. Maybe that's where my secret obsession of cozy blankets comes from, those wonderful hand made blankets from my grandma.

Then when I was a bit older I remember going over to my aunt's house (dad's sister) and she had these old quilts on all her beds. I could just sit and stare at them being amazed and wondering how they were put together and how long it must have took. I never remember expressing what I thought, but when my grandma died, I got one of her quilts. It is such an interesting quilt made from scraps. That was what caught my eye right away. I recognized a brown and white checkered pattern from a baby blanket I had. It was so cool. My grandma just took scraps from all the things she made in the past and made this very unique quilt. She was green and crafty. This quilt became my bed spread for a couple years. I think it was made in the 70's.

It's very cool, each bunch of scraps were made into a square, then sewn together as a quilt. I never really thought about "being green" back then. But, that is one of the reasons I loved this quilt so much, something cool to do with the scraps.

You can see how much it is falling apart. I don't really know the best way to fix it. I don't want to add a new back, but I'm afraid just sewing the ripped parts will make it worse.

Fast forward a few years after my grandma died, I was at my aunt's house and she brought this quilt and a bible out to me and said I could have it. She said it was made by my grandma and she thought I should have it along her bible that she wrote in. Oh my goodness! I was SO excited. Both were such an amazing gift. I have now learned from my wonderful readers that this is a Cathedral Window Quilt.

This quilt was hand sewn. Can you imagine? The entire thing hand sewn. I have no idea how old it is or why it was sewn by hand.

I absolutely love the fabrics, I wish my aunt could find an old stash of fabrics from this quilt. Some of my favorites are the green above, the blue and white below,

the paisley below,

and this flower print.

I was never able to talk to my grandma because I never learned sign language, but I always knew she was an amazing woman. She was an extremely hard worker, a strong Christian, and a poor, but giving woman. She loved quilting and crocheting, I love sewing and knitting. I guess I do have some history in my blood that gave me the love of handmade.

My grandma used to sit in-front of the TV that would be blaring, she would have no idea because she couldn't hear and she would just crochet away. She wouldn't even have to look at her work, she would count by feeling. Maybe that's how she made this quilt also, in-front of the blaring TV she couldn't hear. It must have been her way to relax, using her hands to make something so beautiful. Funny, she used her hands all day long to talk also.

I am honored to be over at Sew Much Ado for this post.