The Quilting Bee

I have always admired old quilts and know first hand the time it takes to create one of these works of art by hand from each of my grandmothers. Grandma H would save every dress and shirt that was no longer fit to wear, and with her favorite cardboard templates, she would create works of art. Painstakingly, she would sew each piece to another until she had her top piece completed. Then she would have her bottom quilt piece which was usually one color or pattern. Then she would sew them together, and  depending on if this was to be a Summer or Winter quilt,  she would add the batting accordingly. Then there was the binding and quilting stitch for the design. All too much for me to handle, but I watched her fascinated by how she placed her colors and the shapes of each quilt block.

I also still remember gramma B being excited when her quilting patterns came in the mail so that she could take her feed sack material and create her works of art too! It was a great marketing ploy by the feed companies at the time, to provide wonderful colors of material in feed as I know my gramma would only purchase the feed sacks that appealed to her.

Unfortunately old quilts have become out of fashion and most of my antique friends do not even sell any in their stores any longer. With the big retail stores providing quilts at cheaper prices, quilts are no longer being made by hand, and no one wants to pay for the quality of a vintage or antique one anymore.

   

( a recent addition to my personal collection)

    

I on the other hand love old quilts! Every time I get the chance to feel one in my hands and touch the material, I gaze upon it wondering who made it and the story behind it....Knowing that our fore mothers who created these magnificent pieces of art did so out of necessity and not for the WOW factor that I get; it still takes my breath away being able to see the workmanship that went into making these heirlooms of our past. 

( was able to purchase this one just this past week)

This quilt dates between circa 1861- 1874. Not sure of exact date. It is a Summer quilt with minor fraying on the edges and some of the hexagons are fading in places. The border is a fabulous purple print, and the...

back is this lovely red and light aqua blue color. The quilting is all done in black, with some stitches missing...but what do you expect for a quilt this old. Being able to purchase such a wonderful old quilt was such an honor, as I was not expecting the person to take my offer...but fortunately for me she did.

Looking at the back of this quilt reminded me of the wallpaper my gramma H had on her wall. It was much cheaper back then to wallpaper instead of paint, and both sets of grandmothers had wallpapered walls in their farmhouses.

This past Sunday Bob and I had the privilege to go inside an early 1800 homestead for an estate sale. Each room still had its original wallpaper and old creaky un-level wood floors. I was in love the minute I walked into it. It was for sale, but alas I believe that whomever purchases it will be purchasing just for the land and will probably tear down the homestead. 

I cannot save every house I see, or purchase every antique, but at least every now and then I can purchase items for my own homestead that have history to them..and if I could have but one wish, that would be for each of my old quilts to tell me their story.... 

Take care everyone

Janice