This quilt was a gift from my mother. She pieced it when she was older and enjoyed working on squares one at a time. All her life she loved patchwork and has a collection of quilts showcasing various patterns. I think her comfort with patchwork stems from a childhood where quilts were pieced from material already in use as clothing or linens, etc. In those days one did not go out and
purchase specific material, all coordinating, for a project. Mom tells of using pieces of old sheets, shirts, blouses, etc. often having to cut around worn areas, to sew together to make a "new" blanket. Matching colours or prints was haphazard and not often achieved.
That, of course, is a familiar story in quilt making. Quilts made like this were usually very heavy and this was useful too; in homes without furnaces and bedrooms far from the old wood stove it could be cold and the heavier the bed covering, the warmer it was. Decorative stitching was also used; Mom has several quilts where blanket stitch or cross stitch was used to outline larger pieces. I marvel at how well this has been worked, holding up as it has over decades and multiple washings.
Anything I own that was made by my mother is precious to me. I like the idea that this fabric, these threads were also held by her hands. My wish is that someday one of my daughters will feel similarly about something I have worked and placed in their care.
No comments :
Post a Comment