The quilt has a tradition of long centuries of slow but certain progress. Its story is replete with incidents of love and daring, sordid pilferings and generous sacrifices. It has figured in many a thrilling episode. The same type of handiwork that has sheltered the simple peasant from wintery blasts has adorned the great halls of doughty warriors and noble kings. Humble maids, austere nuns, grand dames, and stately queens; all have shared in the fascination of the quilter's art and have contributed to its advancement. Cottage, convent, and castle; all have been enriched, at one time or another, by the splendors of patchwork and the pleasures of its making.
Quilts: Their Story and How to Make Them - Marie D. Webster
I love this description - knowing that quilts fit into all of our lives - whether for necessity, comfort, or just pure pleasure. I remember going to bed underneath the quilt my grandmother made for her home - a down-filled, hand-tied quilt. I loved sleeping under that old, heavy quilt - even though I grew up in Southern California and the nights were never below 60 degrees. The quilt made me feel as if I was safe and protected every night.
I am amazed at some of the beautiful quilts being designed with our line of fabric from Moda - each is as unique and beautiful as the next. To thank you for welcoming us into this world of fabric and quilts, leave us your favorite quilt memory and Sofia will chose a name to receive one of our new quilt kits. The winner gets to choose their favorite: Maison de Garance or Reine des Abeilles .
Bonne Chance!
Photo: Victory Garden Quilt, by The Pine Needle, made with our Rouenneries fabric collection.
My favorite quilt memory has to be when I made a quilt for my Best Friend and her husband for their anniversary. I did not finish it in time, but gave it to them for Christmas. There was just something tugging at my heart to finish this quilt. They loved it, and I was so glad I made it. Because my friend only enjoyed it for a year as she passed away the following year. We had been friends for 20 years so it was a sad parting. It's been 6 years since she died, and I still miss her a lot. But the joy the quilt gave her is something that I will always treasure.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quilt memory is the tradition I have started of making a quilt for each year my daughter is at college. I have made one for my son too, but not sure if he cares about a quilt a year. :)
ReplyDeleteMy quilt memory is falling in love with quilts as a young married woman leaving in DC. Antique quilts were just coming back into favor and it seemed every antique store and museums -especially the Museum of Textiles had exhibits of extraordinary pieces. I used to marvel at the diversity of pattern and fabric and love to hear the histories of the makers of those quilts, I loved blue and white quilts best . Because I could not afford to buy a quilt, I wished that I had a family member who had created a quilt that I could own,but I really did not think such a thing was a possibility Then one day I received a package from a distant relative of my Dad's and inside it was a blue and white quilt with tiny postage stamp piecing all done by hand. A note attached from my Dad's second cousin said the quilt was made by my great, great grandmother in Ohio about 1860. Needless to say I was thrilled and immediately placed it on display in our living room I still love quilts and have recently started to make small quilt projects, but my blue and white quilt is on of my most prized possessions.
ReplyDeleteMy friend Cathie created a memory for all who know her and her husband. He was ill and she made a quilt with blank blocks here and there for all their friend to sign their name and a memory of Tom. Was a wonderful thing to do and a beautiful visual. Loved it !!!!
ReplyDeleteSandy M
My favorite quilt memory has to be the first one I ever participated in making. Our neighborhood made a quilt for a fellow neighbor's anniversary. Each one of us made a quilt block of our own house in the neighborhood. Of course, someone had to make the recipient's house as well. This was the quilt I learned from -- after that, quilting was my thing! We had a quilt group after that as well. The end product was so much fun. And we made many baby quilts for members after that!
ReplyDeleteMy favourite quilt is the quilt my grandmother made for me as a very small child. It was not a traditional quilt in the sense that it used batting and quilting, but certainly follows the tradition of using fabric left over from sewing garments. It is made out of a kinds of lightweight pinwale cord and my favourite block was the brown with printed pink animals on it.The quilt is now almost fifty years old and is still dearly loved.
ReplyDeleteMY FAVORITE QUILT MEMORY HAS TO BE AS A VERY SMALL CHILD SLEEPING BENEATH AND FEELING THE SOFTNESS OF MY GRANDMOTHERS HANDMADE QUILTS!
ReplyDeleteTHANKS FOR SHARING!
jldouglas@wispwest.net
There is one quilt that I've had my entire life. It is hand pieced and quilted in the "Drunkard's Path" pattern--made up of bits of reds, pinks and whites. My mother made this full-sized quilt for me while she was pregnant with me. So the quilt truly has been there with me my entire life. And then there was just one more beautiful surprise -- a few years ago I was cleaning in my grandmother's closet and found another quilt -- a match to mine! When I asked my mother, it turned out she had forgotten to ever tell me that she had made a pair and while saving one for my birth, she had given the other to my grandmother as a gift.
ReplyDeleteWish you many such warm memories,
Jill
My favorite quilt memory is not that old. It's the first time my daughter saw her first twin sized bed quilt I'd made for her. She got right under it, even though it was only afternoon, and told Daddy, "mine! you can't have it!" when he asked her if she liked it.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quilt memory was when I returned to my Sunday afternoon quilting group after having my first child ( a boy) and they gave me a quilt they had all secretly worked on. Each person had appliqued a rocking horse onto a square and embellished it with buttons and embroidery. Once they learned the baby's name they designed the border to fit his name in applique. He is now 14 and that quilt has not ever left his bed - even when together we designed his star and space quilt. The love and joy that went into that quilt made it special after we had waited so long for a child. Unforgettable!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason my family didn't have quilts on their beds - everything was always new and contemporary - which seemed fine as I was growing up. Early in college I worked at a fabric store (late 70's - early '80s) where we were just starting to carry 100% cottons, quilting patterns, etc. I loved it all but couldn't afford to make one! Time went on, I got married, had four kids, divorced and still no quilt! When my grandmother died in 2004 (age 96)I received a trunk of hers - apparently over the years she accumulated all kinds of wonderful things...but no quilt! Didn't anyone in my family sew, quilt or do needlework? Recently my mom gave me a surprise - two quilts that were made by my grandmother! They had been stored away for many, many years! Who new? I'm happy at last - but would love to make one of my own! Jamie V in MT
ReplyDeletehttp://rem-nants.blogspot.com
amzanioli@yahoo.com
In January 2010 my Mom was diagnosed with leukemia. In November 2009 we had agreed upon a pattern for a lap quilt we would make together. We picked out fabrics to suit our tastes, of course at the time completely unaware of her illness. We made 'sewing dates' and worked on the quilts regularly. Because we both worked full time, we did not aim to finish them quickly; it was also about the process. Once she was diagnosed and a treatment plan was determined we knew she would be far away from home and the quilts would help us bridge the distance. In April we quickly finished her quilt so she could take it along with her. We tied her quilt and said a wellness and healing prayer with each knot tied. In October we found out that she had a successful transplant and currently has no leukemia cells. It was a difficult time to be sure, and the quilts have brought us great comfort. Right now we're selecting the pattern for our 2011 quilt. Quilts are truly wonderful. ~~Lisa
ReplyDeletemy favorite quilt memory is just the craft itself. I share the love of this craft with my mother and each time we go to a show or retreat, it creates an new and wonderful memory
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quilt memory was making my first quilt for my firstborn daughter. The darn thing was so thick she sweat like crazy everytime we put it over her! LOL
ReplyDeleteI thought the puffier the better!!
Thanks for a chance to win a kit.
My favorite quilt memory is making a nine patch doll quilt with my grandmother when I was seven years old. We used scraps from dresses made for me, my mother and my grandmother. Each summer I would spend a month on my grandparents Kentucky farm(which I now own) and I cherish those dear memories of special times. I still have the quilt that we made together and my favorite doll still loves it as much as I do fifty years later!!!
ReplyDeleteI remember the quilt my mother made for me when I was about two. It was very simple — just square patches of different blue striped fabrics — but I so wish I had insisted on taking it to college with me. It didn't survive being passed on to my younger brothers and I kick myself for letting it happen. (I guess my quilt memory is a little bittersweet!)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quilt memory is of the quilt my aunt made for my cousin. I adored that quilt that hD the letters of the alphabet appliqued in the blocks. So much so it inspired me to start quilting in college. My aunt is still my favorite quilting buddy and I covet her stash!
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm. My first quilt. Completely hand stitched from remnants. The pattern was grandmothers' garden. I would trace those little hexagons, trying to pick my favorite or make sense of the order. I never met my grandmother who made it. I have that quilt still. It grew my fascination with the work of women's hands.
ReplyDeleteThere are two quilt memories i have hard time choosing from. The first one is of my first quilt I made, my grandma taught me and we used all her scraps we could find. Those scraps are from other things she has made, such as a quilt from my great grandma and my little brothers crib set.
ReplyDeleteMy second one is a quilt my grandma and I made form my mom. My mom never got a fancy quilt for her wedding and she always wanted one. (she told me every time i helped her make her bed) So one year we made her one. It's a solid colors pink and green with a intricate design hand quilted into it. It was so big (cal king size) we had issued getting in on and off the racks. We didn't get the binding on but gave it to her any way. She was so surprised and overwhelmed there were tears in her eyes, and my family we are not criers. It was so touching to me.
I've only been a quilter for 1 1/2 years, but my favorite memory dates back to the childhood, in the 40's, watching my Grandma's quilt group work on quilts for charity at her church.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any of my grandmother's quilts to talk about, but I have a story about them. The women in my family have always done needlework, generally practical sewing and decorative embroidery. I have some embroidered table linens and handkerchiefs that my grandmother made, as well as clothing, curtains, and knitted items which my mother made. But no quilts? My grandparents were immigrants who came here from Czechoslovakia a long time ago. My grandmother worked as a cleaning lady in an office building. During the depression, she would bring home fabric samples that were being thrown out and they gave her instead, and sew them together to make warm but heavy quilts (these were upholstery samples). You made do with what you could back in those difficult times. Mom hated those heavy and itchy (but warm) covers, and got rid of them when she could replace them with something lighter and softer. So, no quilts for me, but admiration for them making do during difficult times. (And Mom never throws out anything that was still usable, so I know she must've really disliked those quilts!) I continue the handmade tradition by each year giving my mother something I've made by hand for her.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quilt memory is napping as a two year old under a blue and white pieced quilt made by my great-grandma, that was already at least 50 years old at the time. I loved to run my fingers over the tiny stitches and admire the puckered texture. One day I picked apart a split seam and found another quilt hiding inside! That quilt was truly the beginning of my love for stitching that has lasted for nearly 60 years,and only gotten stronger with time. The quilt is long gone, but I recently was given a copy of a snapshot of my sister as a baby laying on the quilt. Even though the photo is black & white, I can visualize all the "real" colors of the quilt as if it were just yesterday that I was wrapped up in it.
ReplyDeletei don't know if this is my FAVORITE quilt memory, but the first quilt i made for myself was from a halloween novelty fat quarter pack. i thought it came out perfectly...until i took it to palm springs with me for a tennis tournament and realized it was too small to keep me even remotely warm in the cold desert evenings between my matches, it barely even covered my legs.
ReplyDeletenone of the other competitors were even remotely interested in the fact that i had a halloween quilt to keep me warm other than one of the player's mothers who happened to come watch him play. turned out she was also a quilter from ohio.
I haven't been quilting for too long, but was thrilled to find I could hand applique or paper piece a quilt! Took 2 really basic hand applique classes and then went right to Baltimore Albumn.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quilt memory...my great-grandmothers quilts that I always admired at my grandmother's house...dresden plate, sun bonnet sue, and many others. My love of quilts began there and when I was in my late 20's I began making my own quilts.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quilt memory is the quilt my aunt made for me when I was a little girl. She made quilts for my sister too but I only remember my quilt. It was very scrappy and had lots of yellow strips in it. I wore it out and used it when it was threadbare. To have a quilt of my very own was very special because we didn't have many things when I was a child. Now I am passing on my love of quilts to my grandkids.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw my first "colonial" era quilts in real time (as opposed to photographs), it was love at first sight. Eventually, I came across an antique Ontario quilt in red and white that was within my budget and I bought it. Many, many years later, it's still a great love and I have no regrets (and no sordid happenings, either...haha)
ReplyDeleteBisou,
Colette
I began quilting while I was in grad school (not the usual thing to do - take up a time consuming hobby when you have no time for anything else but studying). My mom and grandma inspired me to do so, but what mostly inspired me were the very utilitarian quilts that grandma stitched up using the fabric samples from her father, my great grandfather, who was a traveling suit salesman.
ReplyDeleteBoth of the quilt kits are beautiful. I love every line of fabric you have out so far and am looking forward to your new ones. My favorite quilt memory is of the quilt a friend and I made for my husband's friend who had a stroke at 46. It was a ranch theme quilt because those were the memories my husband had of working with him on his dad's ranch when they were younger. We delivered it to my husband's friend while he was at the stroke rehab facility a couple of hours away. Not only did it mean a lot to the friend, his dad (the rancher) cried when he saw it.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite memory is my little girls face when I gave her a Maisy quilt I made. I hope she will keep it and give it to a child of her own one day.
ReplyDeleteAlso, my husbands family beach house has quilts (or at least covers)made of many, many squares of their old jumpers. Such a nice, cosy, memory filled cover.
My favourite quilt memory is of a quilt I made for a friend of ours who had been diagnosed with cancer. It was made in his favourite earthy tones and was something that I learned he used all the time. Unfortunately, he passed away after far too short a time but his wife later told me that the quilt was never out of his reach.
ReplyDeleteYour fabric lines are stunningly gorgeous! This is a very generous giveaway!
my favorite quilt memory is when we came home from visiting family and my youngest DD , 7 at the time, ran into her room and got her favorite quilt and said mommy Aunt Sue's house is just not a home...I asked her why ???? she said she doesn't have any quilts in her house how can a house be a home without quilts????? I was stunned. The next year I made Aunt Sue a quilt for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteAlways amazes me what a child says and thinks sometimes!
thank you for a generous give away
Happy Thanksgiving!
Last year I gave quilts to all my family members for Christmas. It took the whole year to make them, but was thrilled to see that they were as happy to receive them as I was to give them.
ReplyDeleteTwenty-five or so years ago, I lived in subsidized housing in an upstairs apartment. With 3 little kids and a new baby, I was between jobs and very poor and down on my luck. I did have an old, old Singer that could do a forward and backward straight stitch. When neighbor across the hall had a baby, I was too poor to buy her a nice gift, but I did have the beginnings of what is now, for me, a LARGE fabric stash, so I made her an applique quilt that had a merry-go-round and that's about all I remember about it. I got the design from an old basic sewing skills book, probably circa 1960's. A few years ago, I was walking up the platform to visit someone I knew who was incarcerated in the county jail, and I get "mugged" by this woman who did not look at all familiar, huge handshake, calling me by name and saying, "You look exactly the same as you did 20 years ago and I still have the quilt you made for my son as a baby!" I still don't remember the woman's name!
ReplyDeleteGrandma Presley. Grandma’s Presley’s quilt. Grandma Presley made me a quilt. My cousin and I were born just a few weeks apart in 1954. Our families were very close. My cousin’s Grandma was a tough tobacco chewing grannie from the South. She made me an oh so sweet quilt for my baby gift. I’m 57 and I still have my quilt. It’s a worn, but surprisingly in good condition. Whimsical feed sacks, in prints and stripes comprise it’s ‘Crazy Quilt’ pattern. This quilt introduced me to beautiful cotton and how it feels. I also have a full size quilt she made. I don’t ever see a quilt or feel that old cotton that I don’t think of Grandma Presley.
ReplyDeleteDear Kari, I just returned from two glorious weeks in Pais and two days in London. I was walking down the street and heard the news about The Wedding! Thank you for posting the wonderful pattern. I have already ordered it and perhaps I will make one for Will and Kate. Hope to see you one of these day, Fondly, Chickie,Thimblecreek.
ReplyDeleteHow ironic that this question would come up at this time. As a long time quilter I have alway loved the way colors and shapes together to make a beautiful whole. Yesterday, I was traveling by car to see a patient, when I hit a patch of black ice and went over the road edge, falling 135 ft. and stopped from fall further by hitting a tree. After leaving the hospital my beloved husband tucked me into bed, topped by several of our quilts, as family came to see me, i thought that being in bed safe, with my family around me was the loveliest place to be and I could not be more thankful.
ReplyDeleteI recently took a quilt, made by my grandmother, out of the cedar chest to display it. My Mom had it and then gave it to me. It is tattered and torn in places but it brings me such good memories of my grandmother. She was a fabulous seamtress. Every time I was at her house she was always at the sewing machine.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you and yours. I would be so thankful to receive this kit :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for considering me,
S Warren
I have several favorite quilt memories. There were a few quilts in my family. One of my favorites was a Grandma's flower quilt. I loved looking at the different fabrics in the different flowers. Plus I knew the quilt came from loving hands. I found comfort in this quilt along with my Grandmother's love. The quilt inspired me to make various wall quilts when I got older.
ReplyDeleteI would love to win one of your quilt kits. They are absolutely beautiful. Thanks for your generosity with this giveaway.
Diane
DCL75@msn.com
My favorite quilt memories are making quilts with my Mom. She started out teaching me how to do everything and as the years have progressed I find myself helping her to thread needles and fix her machine when needed. We have has such lovely times together and I wouldn't trade my memories for the world!
ReplyDeleteI have many quilt memories but my favorite is probably my first one. My Grandmother and her sisters would get together and quilt ocasionally. I was invited along when I was five and I remember sitting underneath the quilt and watching their hands. It was amazing!
ReplyDeleteWhen my older daughter was a tiny baby, we used to lay her down to sleep on the star pattern patchwork quilt on our bed. She looked like an angel and the quilt looked so vast compared to her.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite memory of quilting is from when I first learned how to quilt. I went in to my mothers sewing room and said " Mom I want to play..." She looked at her 13 year old boy and said "Your not touching my fabric." She then handed me a bag of scraps and I started to hand sew them into a crazy quilt. It wasn't much time after that. that she said pick out a pattern and we will go buy the fabric for your first quilt. Lets just say I have been hooked on quilting for the last 11 years. Thanks Mom...
ReplyDeleteI have several great moments that stand out. The one I think of most these days is when I finally recieved my hand quilted quilt from my grandmother. She made one for each of her nine grandchildren and even though I picked out a style in 1997 I didn't actually get to have it until I was married in 2006. I love it.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quilt memory is of going to my greatgrandmother's house, and going up the stairs into her quilting room. Much of the room was filled with a quilt in a frame, so she could work on it when she had to the time. Even as a child I was so impressed with the quilt in a frame but remember thinking I could never do anything so difficult.
ReplyDeleteWho knew I would become as addicted to quilting as my greatgrandmother?
Linda Kay
I haven't made that many quilts yet, and most of what I have made I have given away, but I particularly love the first quilt I made completely myself, even quilted it myself and it has pride of place in my header pic on my blog.
ReplyDeleteI am not a quilter, but have loved reading everyone's favorite quilt memories. I can almost see a book with beautiful quilt photographs and memories. Thanks for always inspiring me and offering such a great giveaway.
ReplyDeleteRachel H.
Sacramento, California
when i was 12 years old, i went and stayed with my great grandparents for the summer...my mal & pal. i was there because they couldn't be alone and be trusted to take their meds. i remember sleeping in the same bed with my mal under a homemade quilt. and honest to goodness homemade quilt...a quilt that was NOT machine pieced. i wish i would've known then what i know now so that i could've appreciated those quilts to the fullest. i'll never forget seeing her quilts though.
ReplyDelete:)
happy thanksgiving kaari.
When I was a little girl and very sick my mom would cover me with a quilt that was given to her mom. The neighbors had each made a block and embroidered their name on it and someone set it into a quilt. The last time I saw my mom she gave me that quilt so I would have something to remember her by. She is still alive but I don't get to see her because of a family member - bad situation. I have loved this quilt for a long time and now I get to treasure it for awhile and hang it down to my daughter. It is made from soft muslins and soft green fabrics. It is starting to come apart at the seems from age, but I really don't care, I still love the beautiful squares.
ReplyDeleteMy Granny's quilts were made totally from scraps, without precise piecing, and some without much planning, but they are dear to me all the same.
ReplyDeleteI remember being totally surprised by my mom one Christmas when my sister and I got quilts she made. Impressive that we never saw them or knew about them since we were kids living at home at the time. Then a couple years ago I made my mom a quilt and pillowcases for her birthday and left it all set up on her bed. It was possibly more fun to surprise her!
ReplyDeleteI've had to make my own quilt memories as no one else in my family ever quilted. But one that stands out clearly is making a quilt for my boss just before he started chemo. He was delighted with his quilt and mentioned it often as he was undergoing treatments. Sadly, he is with us no longer, but I will always remember his smile when he opened the package. "You made this for me?"
ReplyDeleteI don't come from a family of quilters. Instead, I hope to inspire the start of a family of quilters. My mom is now starting and my toddler daughter is already having fun looking at fabrics. I love it when she points at the quilt I made her and says "kilt... prettly kilt". (Translation: "quilt... pretty quilt") That is definitely my favorite memory so far.
ReplyDeleteI have so many great memories. But one of the best is when I was little and my mom would make hand tied quilts/comforters she would put the long boards clamped together on top of our chairs, with the quilt pinned onto it. The result was a fort any kid would love to hide under...and we would lay underneath and watch the needle and yarn go up and down for hours, until the quilt was finished and ready for us to snuggle up under it!
ReplyDeleteMy great grandmother made over a hundred quilts in her life time with her two sisters. I was the last great grandchild to receive her handiwork before she died. She didn't complete the quilt, but she did the block, hand stitching girls with bonnets and big hoop dresses. As a child, I would stare at each dress, each stitch, and the girls would somehow come to life.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, at an auction, I scooped up a complex quilt top that had not been backed yet. When a new neighbor moved in, I gave it to her as a housewarming gift because she was a quilter. She was thrilled with the history and the chance to enhance it. And we're still friends sharing our stories, now long distance.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a little girl, three or four perhaps, my mother made a crazy pieced quilt for me using her maternity clothes and my baby clothes. Sometimes at night when she tucked me in she would sit on my bed, I would point to a fabric and she would then tell me stories about the article of clothing that scrap came from; what the garment was, or stories about the things that happened when we wore them.
ReplyDeleteThe backing of the quilt was a soft flannelette and felt heavenly, and like you, that quilt made me feel safe and warm - and I grew up in the Yukon where nights could go as low as -60!
When I was 17 years old my dog, Chiquita Banana died. We got her when I was 7 and she was mine. She sat on my bed time after time while I read, laughed with friends, cried, and ate chocolate - my best friend. When she died we decided to bury her in a wooden box my brother had made, but I needed to wrap her in something. The only thing I could think of that would be right was my quilt - it had been as constant as she and I knew it was the one thing to keep her safe and warm. I have never regretted that choice - I miss my quilt, but I know that burying it with my pet was the best thing I could ever have done with it.
I am a new quilter, so I don't have any memories, but look forward to making some.
ReplyDeleteMy children are about to start leaving our home. Since we live overseas, and my children will be returning to the States I want to make a quilt for each one, so that, while I cannot give them hugs on a daily basis, they will be covered in something that I made for them, a tangible expression of my love for them.
My favourite quilt memory is finding my first vintage quilt in an antique store in Florida. It just called to me from the other side of the room. The feedsack colours blended beautifully and I love it as much today as I did all those years ago. x
ReplyDeleteSome things just surprise you when you least expect it. I made a quilt for my teenage son....you know, the kind that just tends to grunt back when you talk to them and hardly talks at all. Well out of the blue when the quilt was finally finished as it was all pieced and quilted by hand, he says to me," if I leave home to go to university can I take this with me'. Well I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes when I told him that I made it for him and would always be his.
ReplyDeleteKaari, it was such a dream-come-true to take two of your workshops at Silver Bella. It was my first jewelry experience, and I learned so much. I love the way you demonstrated how to open the jump ring! :-) I am first a quilter and appreciate the opportunity to receive this quilt kit. My great, great grandmother made a nine patch of all my mother's baby dresses. I have this quilt and it is my greatest treasure. Though it is tattered and really used (Mom is 87), it is perfect in my eyes. The tiny hand stitches and prints, along with the blanket peeping out from the worn spots, tell me it was not only a labor of love, but also used with love. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI love your quilts and your style!
ReplyDeleteMy first quilt was for my mum's 80th birthday and was very special to her - later when she became ill and could no longer cope at home the quilt went with her - when she died the quilt came back to me and my children would never let me wash it because it smelt of granny
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite quilt memories was cold winter nights at my grandmothers. She only had heat from a fireplace in the living room so quilts and several of them were a must. Many times I would hear her sneaking in during the night to add another quilt on my bed to make sure I was warm. I am sure the love was as important as the quilts in keeping me warm. On cold nights, I still sleep under one of her quilts and the love is still there.
ReplyDeleteSara said....
ReplyDeleteI have tears in my eyes reading some of these memories. Thank you for giving us all the opportunity to reach back and think about how quilts have affected our day to day lives. Isn't it amazing that just a small piece of simple cloth can evoke such memories? I am thankful to know you Kari and to be able to read your blog it has brought me much joy and happiness over the years.
My favorite quilt memory was my first "real" quilt. I made it with the thought of keeping it for myself. Halfway through I realized that the joy of quilting is when you are sewing for someone else. So I rethought the quilting and added hearts to the design. I finished it just in time for my Great-Grandmother's surgery. She still has it and takes it with her everywhere. That's the one special thing about quilting... being able to put a smile on another persons face . That's something all "Real" quilters know and share.
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays everyone!
Putting the last stitches into the binding of a quilt is an enormous satisfaction. Tucking a child under that quilt is even greater:)
ReplyDeleteI have many quilt memories that are favorites. One is of the Mariner's Compass quilt that my mother made just for me - from conception forward. It was a birthday present and reminded me of home and family even when I lived far far away. Now I have returned "home"and it is on the bed here too! Happy Thanksgiving. Please enter me into the drawing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for enabling me to share my favourite quilt menory. I had only started quilting just after my 1st son was born and i did a class making a sampler quilt completely by hand (no machine stitching at all) Though not a big quilt to sleep under i just love that i stitched it and feel it was made with love
ReplyDeleteI remember sleeping under my little girl patchwork quilt until it was so faded, the already subtle blues and pinks were almost indistinguishable. Before the process of fading had gone too far, I would just look at beautiful fabrics and touch them. The beautiful, but understated florals, the vintage blues, and creams... I loved just looking at it and enjoying the beauty of the fabrics. To this day, I still just completely enjoy absorbing in the beauty of fabrics. I don't remember where the quilt came from, but I do remember the memories :).
ReplyDeleteMy FIL was a cranky man(I liked him though). Very old school as to what men should and should not do. In his later years he became very ill and asked his wife to have me make him a quilt. I was suprised as he often said quilts were for babes and women. I made him a quilt which he always kept with him even when he had to go into the hospital and at the end it seem to give him comfort to know people loved him.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kaari for such a great challenge. It's so funny that alot of us have splendid memories of our grandparents....My first quilt memory was staying at my Great Grandmothers farm house when I was roughly three to four years old. Nap time consisted of sleeping in my Great Grandma's hand-crafted trestle bed on top of a fluffy feather bed. She covered me with her blue, white and pink patched quilt. My mom still uses the quilt which is still in great condition some years later. I often think of my Great Grandmother and all of the things she had to do on the farm. Sewing was one of her many talents!!!!
ReplyDeleteoh my! This a great thing to do, well, I have 2 memories I guess, I made my first quilt for my daughter when she was 2 and half years old, it was such a process of learning as I'd just bought my first sewing machine and taken my first stitch and I so wanted her to have something lovely, it turned out fantastic (except the binding, which I have fixed!) and I was so proud, because of my success and enjoyment I have made so much else, mostly clothes for the kids, but 2 more quilts for my son, 2 for me, and so much more! Curtains, table runners, bags, etc...my second memory is when my Aunt passed along a small rocking char and quilt my grandmother had made. I recieved these when my 1st child was born because she was the first baby born to the family, it was extremely meaningful for me as my father has passed, and I never knew his family, I feel connected to them now somewhat, I know my grandma made a baby quilt and a rocking chair, and they sit prominently in my living room. I am blessed to have them.
ReplyDeleteAfter I first got married (42 years ago) I wrote my grandmother and asked if she had any of our family quilts available. To my surprise, I shortly thereafter received a package from her. Inside was a beautiful red and white quilt. I'm not sure who made it, either she or her mom or grandmother. I cherish it so much not just for the beauty of the quilt, but for her trust in a young 19 year old newlywed to care for something so precious.
ReplyDeleteFrom the time they were four and six until they were twelve and fourteen, my sons always wanted to sleep on the living room floor in front of the tree on Christmas Eve. We didn't use sleeping bags - I made them a comfy cushion of quilts and blankets and pillows. The top quilt (the 'frosting') was always the quilt I had made with lots of dark reds and olive greens and golds. The fabric combination was called "Christmas or Not".
ReplyDeleteEach time they were hardly able to stop wiggling long enough for a photo. Now they are 16 and 18 and opt for their own beds, but I love my series of Christmas photos of their sweet faces poking out from that huge beautiful quilt.
Quilting is an all new art to me. My mother and I have only very recently taken it up attending a gloriously intimate weekly quilting group. Quilting doesn't have a traditional heritage in Northern Ireland (thats where we live) where all fabric traditions here involve weaving irish linen. I find it peculiar considering we have such a harsh climate with daily rain, a beautiful hand-crafted quilt could make so many people here feel a little bit more loved. Warm inside and out is how I feel when I'm snuggled up in one of my mothers quilts.
ReplyDeleteThe first quilt I completed was pieced with a jelly roll and yardage from the rural jardin collection. I was so proud when I completed it, carrying it everywhere with me so I could show my family, friends, anyone really who would look at it. In fact I'd gladly send you a photograph if you like? The jelly roll was an entirely new and amazing creature to me, i couldn't wait to untie the binding and watch the jelly roll strips flake open, revealing new and unexpected colours and patterns all longing to have different textures. I pressed my face against the fabric to smell its crisp new scent. I remember the first cuts into the fabrics tore at my soul as I felt I was destroying something already perfect, but I felt such satisfaction piecing the fabric back together in a new and inspiring pattern. I loved my mother most as we stumbled our way through the basics of adding the binding fabric, a completely alien concept to both of us. And of course the pride I felt at completing this first project, how I tried to give my mum the quilt as a gift and how she in turn tried to give me hers and I love how we now sit on the sofa at home together with both quilts draped over us, cup of tea in one hand, plate of biscuits in front of us, plotting new quilt plans for the future. My favourite quilt memory for this reason is the memory of future plans being made under the safety and heat of our first quilts on a rainy winters night.
My favourite quilt memory was a quilt my grandmother made for me when I was little, and when we emigrated to Canada (from Switzerland)...it was the only thing I had from my old life...and her.
ReplyDeleteI treasured it.
pippirose59 at gmail dot com
Hi Kaari! Hope you are well. My favorite quilt memory is ... I have a whole-cloth quilt made for me by my Great-Grandmother when she was 85 years old. It's yellow with an image of Bambi quilted in the center-her stitches are absolutely perfect! She was a widow for almost 50 years and lived in an old farmhouse without indoor plumbing until she was 90. She made everything from scratch (Including Mayonnaise!) and was proud of her pioneer heritage. She lived to be 100, and when she died in 1991, she had out lived four of her seven children. My little yellow baby quilt is a precious memory of my sweet, independent, Grandma England ....
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quilt memory is a little different than most, I suppose. My ancestry on my mother's side is Japanese, and none of my relatives' homes were ever decorated in the French, farm-house, or traditional styles. I grew up with the subtle, simple lines and raw silks of Asian art and materials, and to me this was beautiful. I remember snuggling under my bachan's layering of shiny, down-filled quilts and blankets, brought over from Japan by her mother in the early 1930s. They had images of cherry blossoms, flooded rice paddies,and kimono-clad girls delicately twirling hand-painted umbrellas. I would pull the top silk quilt up under my arm and lay on my side. As my bachan would sit in her rocking chair and drink her green tea, I would fall asleep to the feel of the silk as I rubbed my open palm over the expanse of the quilt--it felt so cool and smooth and comforting to touch! The last thing I would see was my bachan's knobby bun with chopsticks holding it together and the reflection of the nightlight on the quilt near my face. That's my favorite memory of quilts!
ReplyDeleteI hope I'm not too late! I grew up with depression era scrap quilts on my bed. I remember playing matching games- are there any two arcs the same in this double wedding ring? do any two dresden plates have the same combination of fabric? which fabric is rarest? most plentiful? It kept me busy for hours.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quilt memory is making my Dear Jane quilt. I never thought I could do it and it was a challenge for me. Thinking about the different blocks and my notes on how to do it are fun to look at now that it is finished.
ReplyDeleteMary
My quilt memory is of the one I made my niece after her mother, my sister, died. Each block was a symbol of something in their lives, and the center block was a picture of their high school graduation picture.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend made a lovely yellow flannel quilt at the birth of my daughter. Through the years it has been the quilt of choice when she was ill and laid up on the couch. When she headed away to university a couple of years ago, the quilt was safely packed and continues to comfort and be a reminder of home. Heaven forbid that she would have the sniffles and not have her favourite quilt to cuddle up underneath!
ReplyDeleteMy best friend's mother passed away in a car accident when we were 21. Her father remarried around 7-8 years later. A couple of years later Diana was able to get pregnant after trying for 8 years. Shirley, Di's step mother made a quilt with family photos of her mom and dad and family printed on the fabric which she gave at her baby shower. It was so touching and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quilt memory.... hmmm... there are so many good ones to choose from. I think my favorite memories is the baby quilt that I made for my son's swim team coach. We had a surprise baby shower. I made a very simple baby quilt using charm squares, but located backing that had stingrays on it. The swim team was "the stingrays." The front was girly for Mom, but "team related" for the Dad. Thanks for this chance to win!
ReplyDeleteI am in the process of completeing a quilt for each of my nine grandchildren,I have fond memories as I stitch with love for my babies,as I do traditional hand applique,they take quite a while.I have a few more to go,I hope they will sleep under them always knowing they are loved.
ReplyDeleteKerrie Taylor
my favorite quilt is one my Great Grandmother made. I wish she had lived long enough for me to talk quilting with her.
ReplyDeleteginger c at gmail dot com
My favorite quilt memory, and it's probably my first quilt memory, is watching my mother hand piece a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt top. Then I remember waiting, while it was sent away to her aunties who lived in North Dakota who quilted it by hand. It is a lovely quilt, filled with lots of sentiment.
ReplyDeletewhen i was in high school, i made a real patchwork quilt using every scrap of fabric i could find...neighbors, relatives, my mother's stash...no fabric was safe! it has seen lots and lots of use, and looks pretty shabby, but is still my fave. thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this Union Jack quilt pictured! WHat a beautiful spin on an a flag! Quilts are a very strong part of my childhood. My mother quilted and often there was a quilt rack set up that ran the length of our living room, through the double wide doorway into the family room. Here I learned "6 stitches to an inch" and I got pretty good with my young hands and eyes. Later, when the local Senior Citizens Center opened (thanks to all the volunteer work of my dad and his buddies, the old movie theater was transformed with a new flat floor) my mom and I would quilt away the afternoons with other local ladies. Working on a quilt pieced together by one of them and hand quilted by all of us. There was a piece of the community in every quilt that was wrapped around those quilt frames and a fun piece of my childhood.
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing you again at Silver Bella, you've awoken the jeweler in me with your class, I will beheading over to the store to place an order!
cari kraft
Iam a fairly new quilter and my favorite quilt memory was making quilts for our nephew's twin boys.I used 2 different colorways of the same fabric collection. My husband was a twin and this new set of twins boys was such a joy to him,because his twin had passed away 2 years previously.
ReplyDeleteI made a breast cancer quilt for someone I never met. It got there the day she passed away. She never saw it. Her young son did and kept it to sleep under.
ReplyDeleteSo many possible stories. We had this wonderful down filled type of quilt when I was growing up. It was very special to my mom, who grew up during the Depression and without much. She would only bring it out around Christmastime, when it was cold and snowy. Then and my little brother and I would get to sleep together under it. It had a name, "Downy". It was as fluffy as a cloud, light as angels wings, and toasty warm. It was a simple but very special thing, getting to sleep under, yet we would squeal with excitement every year when my mom would bring it out. "Downy" was a special treat of the Christmas season at our home, and my little brother and I truly were "nestled all snug in our bed".
ReplyDeleteMy paternal grandmother made quilts for each of her seven children! Since I was one of the youngest grandchildren, I knew I would never be handed down one of these quilts, as they always went to the oldest grandchild for that family! I admired the one she had made for my father, but my oldest brother received the quilt when he moved away from home. There were many trips taken to California to visit my dad's oldest brother. On Uncle Burl's passing my mother asked my aunt if there was a memento from my uncle that she could bring home to me! My aunt gave her Uncle Burl's quilt that was the first grannie had made! It was the Star of Texas with a peach and baby blue background! It hangs in a place of honor in my house, whispering tales of dresses worn, aprons that saw many meals, and children that were comforted during the Great Depression! I love my quilt, because it speaks of a heritage that is my family!
ReplyDeleteJulie B.
tabbytribe@earthlink.net
My favorite quilting memory is when I first learned to quilt. That was in the mid 70's. I took a class with my mother & my aunt at night school. I wasn't even aware of any quilt shops in those days & the fabric choices were not the best.
ReplyDeleteWe learned to make a sampler quilt. I finished mine which was a lap size quilt. My mother made hers into a twin. My aunt made the blocks but never finished them. About 10 years ago I finished my aunt's quilt for her. She was in her 80's then & in assisted living.
Both my mom & my aunt have passed away in the last 2years. I have my mother's quilt in my guest bedroom & when I see it I mentally thank her for taking me to that first class. I have since gone on to designing my own patterns for my own company. My aunt's quilt went to her daughter (my cousin) who passed away a month before my mom. Her husband has the quilt on display now. Lots of memories from that long ago quilt class.
My favorite quilt memory is starting my first quilt block. It was a block from of the month program called Second Saturday at my local quilting store. It was a 9 1/2 inch block with 27 pieces. It came in a little TEENY baggy and if I made it and brought it back on next month's Second Saturday, I would get the kit for the next block free! I loved it so much because it had a print with little horse heads on it. It's still my favorite block in that particular quilt.
ReplyDeleteI had never pieced at all, and I was so afraid to cut that fabric! I had never used a rotary cutter, or sewn a quarter inch seam. I had no idea what I was doing! I bought a roll of 1/4" tape and taped it along the edge of the fabric pieces and made my quarter inch seams that way! Thankfully, by the next month I had asked lots of questions at the store and discovered all sorts of new things, like~ a quarter inch foot for my machine! I was off and running! I found my passion! I've been making quilts for almost two years now, and it all started with that little block!
In the 1970's my Mom made a quilt out of all our castoff clothing. I'm working on restoring it now. Recently I laid it out on the floor and climbed up on a ladder to take an aerial picture of it. I uploaded the picture to a site to make a skin for my iPhone. I love carrying my Mom's quilt around in my pocket!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quilt is my baby quilt made by two great-aunts. I still have it. My creed is that you can never have too many quilts. We have them on the beds, sofas, and comfy chairs. Quilts are like hugs and they hold you close.
ReplyDeleteMy best memory is when I decided to start quilting. My Mom did not sew and she had passed by the time I had my children so I wanted to do something I could give them from just me!! I so glad I did.
ReplyDelete