Go Back  Quiltingboard Forums >
  • Main
  • My mom gave me my grandma for Christmas >
  • My mom gave me my grandma for Christmas

  • My mom gave me my grandma for Christmas

    Thread Tools
     
    Old 01-15-2011, 02:50 AM
      #51  
    Senior Member
     
    Join Date: Aug 2010
    Location: East Tennessee
    Posts: 640
    Default

    That is just wonderful. I am happy for you.
    thenonnielady is offline  
    Old 01-15-2011, 04:02 AM
      #52  
    Banned
     
    Join Date: Aug 2010
    Posts: 2,047
    Default

    Now that is what Love and Christmas is about. Beautiful story.
    Lady-T is offline  
    Old 01-15-2011, 04:04 AM
      #53  
    Super Member
     
    Edie's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Sep 2009
    Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
    Posts: 2,616
    Default

    Originally Posted by rubia
    Confused? LOL

    My mom's mom was my best friend. She had so many admirable qualities and I just adored her. She passed away almost six years ago and I miss her terribly.

    My grandmother was an amazing - I mean AMAZING - seamstress! She sewed her daughters' wedding dresses and all their brides maids' dresses. She sewed her own wardrobe as well as for her two daughters. She sewed for all of us grandkids.

    She quilted this amazing patchwork jacket for me when I was little. I look at it now (pictured on my own daughter) and am simply amazed. If you notice, the fabrics are symmetrical on each side of the jacket front. The arms match as well. That jacket astounds me!

    My grandmother used to quilt. She mostly did panels, whole cloth quilts or simple patchwork. I think she made a wedding ring quilt for my cousin but I really don't remember seeing her do a lot of piece work.

    For Christmas, my mom handed me a gift bag. Inside was a box of tissues. My 4 year old daughter thought this was a great gift. I knew it meant something big was coming. My mom slide a big present over to me. I opened it and it was one of those Sterlite containers with shelves. Okay. Um. What's up, Mom??

    Each drawer contained a million treasures....

    The top drawer contained blocks for a sampler quilt my grandmother started. Each block had a little piece of paper attached with the name of the pattern. Most were sashed and sewn into rows. I was speechless. My grandmother *never* did piecework like this!

    The second drawer contained all of the quilting templates she used. She hand quilted on a huge rack. She would lay out the cardstock templates and trace them on the fabric and start hand stitching. For as long as I can remember, my grandmother's knuckles were bent at right angles from arthritis. It still amazes me that she hand quilted.

    The next drawer contained lots of envelopes. Each envelope was labeled with the name of a block pattern. In each envelope was all of the paper templates for that block. Each template piece was labeled with the name of the block and was given a number so you'd know that they were all accounted for and none were lost. There were even plexiglass templates she had my grandfather cut for her.

    The bottom drawer was filled with quilting books and magazines from the early 90's. This alone was a huge treasure. But it gets better..... each magazine was marked. She put check marks next to the blocks she wanted for her sampler and wrote "done" when they were complete. She made notes in the margins just like she used to do with her cookbooks... any modifications or thoughts about the recipe would be noted.

    It was an absolutely amazing gift to receive. Seeing my grandmother's distinctive handwriting was enough to bring tears to my eyes. But seeing how she planned out this sampler and worked on it left me without words.

    Right now, the sampler looks like it would fit a twin bed. I plan to go through the magazines and find the blocks she hadn't made yet and add to the quilt to make it queen size. I also want to have someone embroidery the names of each block onto the blocks. I'll never remember the names and I want to make sure the next person who receives the quilt has that knowledge as well.

    It's taken me a while to write about this. Every time I try to write about it, I am overwhelmed by the gift. I love my Grandma and miss her every day. I'm a boo-hooing, runny nose mess now that I've written it all out.
    Good Morning: I love making samplers. This one is gorgeous. One thing here - Google Quilter's Cache. There is a list of practically every block you can imagine, with the name, instructions on how to make it, in some cases there is a history to the block. I have made most of the blocks your grandmother made and it is the most satisfying project in the world. My grandmother made me a crazy quilt, embroidered her initials and year. I have it on my quilt rack. I used it and wore out some of the fabric and replaced it and also the hand embroidery stitches around the fabric. A piece of my mother's wedding dress, the fabric for my confirmation dress, fabric from the dresses she made for herself and fabric from other places I don't even know about. It had satin, cotton, wool, velvet, corduroy, taffeta all in it. My grandmother was the seamstress in her town, Waterloo, Wisconsin. She made clothes for me too. I'm 72, my mother and dad were married in 1937, so there is some mighty old fabric in there. Mom is 94! It is a treasure. Edie
    Edie is offline  
    Old 01-15-2011, 04:10 AM
      #54  
    Super Member
     
    Join Date: Oct 2010
    Location: Alaska
    Posts: 2,356
    Default

    Wonderful story!
    Have you thought about having the names under the blocks instead of on the blocks? That way her originals would not be touched.

    Maybe in the sashing right under the block?
    KarenR is offline  
    Old 01-15-2011, 04:12 AM
      #55  
    Super Member
     
    Edie's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Sep 2009
    Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
    Posts: 2,616
    Default

    Originally Posted by KarenR
    Wonderful story!
    Have you thought about having the names under the blocks instead of on the blocks? That way her originals would not be touched.

    Maybe in the sashing right under the block?
    Good Idea! Edie
    Edie is offline  
    Old 01-15-2011, 04:13 AM
      #56  
    Senior Member
     
    didi's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Dec 2010
    Location: SE Alabama
    Posts: 821
    Default

    Well, I cried too. My grandmother raised me from 3 mos. old. She did quilting too. I have always wondered where they went after she passed away. I can remember my sister and I sleeping under so many quilts, that we couldn't turn over, we slept on a enclosed porch and it was cold. Both of us quilt now. Giving to the homeless.
    You really have a treasure and I'm so happy for you. I think your Mother gave you the greatest gift of all.
    didi is offline  
    Old 01-15-2011, 04:32 AM
      #57  
    Super Member
     
    Join Date: Nov 2010
    Location: Florida
    Posts: 1,611
    Default

    How wonderful of your mother to give you such a treasured gift of love.
    Tropical is offline  
    Old 01-15-2011, 04:33 AM
      #58  
    Super Member
     
    Scrap Happy's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Jan 2011
    Location: Florida
    Posts: 6,385
    Default

    rubia, what a beautiful story, thanks for sharing! Like you I would have been brought to tears. I was close to my Grandmother too she was the woman who raised me. What a precious gift you have received. Your Mom must have been so excited to give this amazing gift to you.

    I'm going to be making a denim rag quilt and am collecting denim for it. When I discovered 2 pairs of my Dad's denim shorts I was so happy to know that what he wore will be in this quilt - I think you know what I mean (he passed away almost 4 years ago.) I understand what you mean about seeing your Grandmothers handwriting and how it touched your heart.
    Scrap Happy is offline  
    Old 01-15-2011, 04:58 AM
      #59  
    Member
     
    duckie's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Jan 2011
    Location: Iowa
    Posts: 37
    Default

    Beautiful story! Thank you for sharing the love.
    I'm teary-eyed, too.
    duckie is offline  
    Old 01-15-2011, 05:14 AM
      #60  
    Senior Member
     
    jlong's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Jul 2010
    Location: Reading, PA
    Posts: 443
    Default

    Beautiful story, great Mom. Is the tissue box still in use? I need one here.
    jlong is offline  
    Related Topics
    Thread
    Thread Starter
    Forum
    Replies
    Last Post
    Prissnboot
    Pictures
    21
    10-10-2014 11:58 AM
    TerryQuilter
    Pictures
    170
    11-05-2012 07:37 AM
    familyfun
    Main
    98
    10-12-2011 05:06 AM
    RkayD
    For Vintage & Antique Machine Enthusiasts
    17
    12-22-2010 08:46 PM
    sammycat1958
    Pictures
    135
    11-14-2010 12:14 PM

    Posting Rules
    You may not post new threads
    You may not post replies
    You may not post attachments
    You may not edit your posts

    BB code is On
    Smilies are On
    [IMG] code is On
    HTML code is On
    Trackbacks are Off
    Pingbacks are Off
    Refbacks are Off



    FREE Quilting Newsletter