Tuesday 22 November 2016

The Last Quilt

I drove over three hours one way to visit my mother on the weekend because sometimes you should visit your mother. I took mom out for dinner. Back at her place it somehow  came up in conversation that this was the last surviving quilt she had that her mother had made. 


My grandmother passed on quite a few years ago. As long as I could remember my grandmother had made all of us quilts and we received several from her through the years. My last one wore out a few years ago. It is one of those odd things that come to mind when you note the passage of time.

A lot of quilts are works of art and I admire the skill that go into making them. The ones made by my grandmother were meant to be used. We took care of them and got years of use out of them and were grateful to get one as a gift from her. Everyone in the family had one. The bedding she made was warm and comfortable to the point where you did not want to get out of bed. Unfortunately through years of use they eventually wore out. I would love to have my hands on one now. You can buy bedding but it is not the same.

She was four foot eleven and never weighed over one hundred pounds. Her home was always spotless and she had an energy and efficiency about her. Her flowers won prizes, her garden was a work of art, and she was an excellent cook. To this day I am not sure how she accomplished everything. She was a wonderful grandmother and I loved to visit her. With her being gone all these years there are fewer and few reminders of her with the passage of time. Hang on to the things that mean something.

5 comments:

  1. The best quilts are the ones meant to be used. The "Art Quilts" are beautiful to look at, but give me a quilt to snuggle under any time. Especially one made by a beloved Grandmother. That is a real treasure.

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  2. When I was a kid everyone's grandma did something similar. Mine did tatting, which is a decorative border made by tying colored thread into patterns. Still have a few examples. Enjoy that treasure, and definitely hang on the the treasures we have left.

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  3. Don't have my Mom's quilt anymore, but I still have the tablecloth she embroidered around the tracing of hand prints of all my family members and their names. My grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, me, my brother and family friends. Every once in a while I carefully unwrap it and remember....

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  4. It was afghan blankets in my family...trunks full of afghans. I remember a particularly retro (now) orange, brown and cream one. Very A&W chic.

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  5. Awhile back I bought a handmade quilt or lap covering for buggy rides- made from wool, looks like men's coats and it is extremely heavy. Perfect for old houses that get snow on the inside of windowsills in upstairs unheated bedrooms. I paid $3.00 for it.

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