Featured Member Quilts: February 16

Tonight we’re featuring a few quilts that share a rich history or that speak of love and the heritage of quilting that transcends generations. All of them are moving in their own right. We’d like to thank all those who share their love of quilting and the stories that bind family and friends together.

from Kathy Graham: “This is the last complete quilt that my mom hand quilted before she died in May at the age of 88. I miss my quilter!“

Many of us who learned to quilt, or at least to love quilts, from our mothers, aunts, grandmothers, mentors or other friends and family know that the quilts they left behind have a very special meaning. We can all celebrate the beauty and the memories they represent. Sometimes, too, we know they were done by hands that might have hurt or eyes that were failing.

Thank you, Kathy, for sharing your mother’s beautiful quilt with us. We celebrate her talent and the love she obviously passed on.

from: Dorothy Davis: “this is my newest quilt it is a copy of Alex Andersons mud quilt”

Dorothy’s applique can take us back over a hundred years although Anderson’s pattern is new. Many of us have treasured rose themed appliques that have been passed down through the generations. Anderson’s adaptation was inspired by a poem about the yellow rose and how good mud is between the toes of a rose bush. You can see more of Anderson’s patterns here.

from: Michael-Joyce Simmons: “This is the last quilt that my mom pieced (1999-2000) and started to quilt. Her dementia had already started by the time she started quilting and she would just start quilting wherever she picked up the quilt. I got it in 2005 to finish. It was very hard to have to take out some of her stitches, but I finally got it finished (after 8 1/2 years of working on it). Momma started this for my niece and I was able to give it to her in January 2014. It was not her best work on quilting, but still very special to my heart.”

Many of us, also, have finished quilts begun by beloved family members. Others of us still have the unfinished tops, or just blocks, in a closet or drawer. We know how hard it is to finish but how, when done, the work seems to have a special feel to it and a pride that we can carry on. Thank you, Joyce, for sharing this quilt, and its story, with our community.

from: LaMona Northey Ellis: “My first double wedding ring, made with reproduction feedsack fabrics”

While LaMona’s work is new, it does look like the vintage masterpieces of the early 20th century, the ones that were given as gifts to a new couple. It brings back memories, too, of all the Double Wedding Rings that we saw growing up. The pattern always seems to move the heart.