Quilting seems to be becoming a lost art - not necessarily making the tops of the quilts but hand quilting and finishing them I think is. When my Great grandmother passed away ( I think her name was Mary Annie but her nickname was Mammie) this quilt came to me from her through my mother. It has over 3500 pieces and was made in about 1887 - that is NOT a typo - 1887! It is hand pieced and hand quilted and it has held up so well to the ravages of time and travel! It is a wonderful testament to quality of materials and workmanship. No - it doesn't get used on the bed - it hangs and is refolded a different direction every six months or so.
It is a no touch quilt now - off limits for using and just for looking at. It is called Ocean Waves or Storm at Sea depending on who you ask.
In our family we have a variety of talents among the ladies, you are a quilter, weaver, artist (as in painting etc.,) and so on. Everybody has something they seem to be genetically predisposed to - some even have two or more talents - I am a quilter. I love quilting - it soothes me and makes me feel like I have something just for me in the crazy over scheduled life I lead. I am building something - even if a gift for someone - it is also for me.
I began this quilt a number of years ago - embarrassingly its been about 12 years ago that I finished the top! I have been working on the hand quilting since about a year after the top was done. This quilt is more than 100 years newer than the Ocean Waves! 100 years!!! It moved in the frame from our old house to Wicked Raven and I do a tiny amount at a time. I love to sit and do the hand quilting even though it is tedious and sometimes it is more than I can bear to look at it since it has taken me so long. But I am getting to the end of it now and I am so excited to finish it. I have another quilt ready to go into the frame - an antique butterfly quilt that I designed the quilt template for. Stay tuned - eventually Ill have pictures of that one too.
My quilt doesn't have even 2500 pieces and it is not nearly quilted the way the Ocean Waves is but once it is on our bed it will seem like every stitch was put in with love - because it was!
I have some other projects that I am working on as well - tops - and it is Spring Break with no hockey so Ill be posting more often too - at least for this week!
Find your solace - what makes you happy and feeds your soul? What do you do just for YOU?
Blessed Be!
No comments:
Post a Comment