Heritage of Quilts

"No cord or cable can draw so forcibly, or bind so fast, as love can do with a
single thread." Robert Burton

Grandma, in the middle of this picture, made a quilt for each of her children whom she gathered from across the United States this past weekend to gift the quilts and tell the stories behind them.

Grandma began the first quilt in 1939 while pregnant with Uncle Clair, her first child. I'll post a photo and story in a later entry.

Aunt Ann and Dad are holding Dad's quilt in the picture above while Grandma tells how the cross shapes of the quilt were created from my great-great-grandpa's shirts and the light pieces behind the crosses are of material from my great-great-grandmother's aprons. Because we lived on Oak Leaf Farm at the time grandma completed the actual quilting, she stitched an oak leaf design using white thread, which stands out beautifully against the dark blue back of the quilt. Unfortunately you can't see the sewing in the picture.

Ardy, my dad's wife, placed this quilt on the bed I slept in that night. Crawling under the covers, I wrapped myself in history and love, full of wonder at my heritage. Earlier that day I laughed at funny stories from my dad's childhood. I learned that a great-great-uncle was accused of being a confederate spy and consequently hung (though not to his death) in a Missouri barn to coerce a confession. I cried as grandma read aloud a letters she had written to my grandpa, who died a few short years ago, and to each of her children just for this occasion.

Through it all I sensed my unique stitch sewn with the thread of time.



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