Thursday 4 August 2016

The First Quilt That Came Into My Life

     Today is the one year anniversary of  Throwback Thursday, which is a link up hosted by Jenn at Quarter Inch From the Edge. As it's a special anniversary of the link up,  I thought I would share a quilt that is very special to me.  This is the first quilt that came into my life.  It was given to Dwight and me at our wedding in 1987 and it was made by his grandmother Ida Cressman.  We scanned one of our wedding photos so you can have a peak of what it looked like when it was new. The photo is of Dwight and his mother unfolding the quilt to show it to the wedding guests.





     Dwight's grandmother hand pieced all her quilts.  When Dwight was around 16 his grandmother gathered her 13 grandchildren together  along with 13 quilt tops.  Each of the kids got to choose a quilt.  She started with the girls and they chose in order from oldest to youngest and then the boys chose from oldest to youngest.  This quilt was the one that Dwight really wanted and luck would have it that when his turn came the quilt was still in the mix. The quilt was put away and when we got engaged the women of his church bordered it with red fabric and got together to hand quilt it.

     For many years the quilt was on our bed.  It welcomed our two children and several pets.   Ida used the left over scraps from sewing clothes in it's construction and many of the fabrics have deteriorated. It is very worse for wear now as it has been well used and well loved.




     Although faded, it is still really beautiful isn't it?  Just look at some of the interesting fabrics that were used, and the tiny red hand quilting stitches.



     Dwight grew up with quilts but they were new to me as no one in my family was a quilter.  Although I appreciated and loved the quilt when we received it, now that I am a quilter myself, I really appreciate the love, skill and work that went into this very special wedding gift.  I'm linking my post to the Throw Back Thursday link up at Quarter Inch From the Edge.

19 comments:

Puppilalla said...

Lisa, wow, what a lovely history that quilt has. Thanks for sharing it with us. The quilt is very beautiful indeed. And such a loving communal effort on to complete it. It is not hard at all to believe that it is well loved in your household. =)

Tish Stemple said...

I love this story, because it is a story of happy quilt that has and is living a good life. It was made 100% love and has been loved in return.

Lena Pugacheva said...

If that's faded, what was it like when new then? I really like the ombre-like effect and the deep reds. It's a very moving story, makes me think - is it possible that any of my quilts can have such a long and happy life?

Little Black Cat Quilting said...

What a beauty, I love the story that goes along with this one. 😊 A well loved quilt is a happy quilt for sure!

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

What an awesome quilt and beautiful story. I'm so excited that Dwight got to receive the quilt he wanted from the grouping! <3 There is so much love and history in that quilt, it gives me goosebumps!

Diana @ Red Delicious Life said...

Such an amazing quilt with a wonderful story to go along with it. No one in my family quilted but I can just imagine how treasured it is to have something that was completely handmade (and hand quilted) handed down. It's just lovely. Does it have a label on it telling the story or with Dwight's grandmother's name on it?

Paige said...

Lisa, what a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing! I can see why Dwight had his eye on that one. The 16 patch and pinwheels blocks really make a modern looking layout.

Janice Holton said...

Now this is what makes blogs so much fun to read. These kinds of stories! Thanks for sharing this with us all. :)

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

What a beautiful story to go with a beautiful quilt. Tell Dwight he chose well - both the quilt and the bride!

JanineMarie said...

Ah, this is exactly why I like this link-up so much. What a beautiful story and a great wedding photo to go with it. (Just look at that little tyke holding on to it!) It's amazing think that such an apparently complex design was made with scraps from clothing construction. I also like picturing those women quilting away together and probably reminiscing about the "little boy" they were quilting it for.

Pamela said...

What a great story and a wonderful quilt.

Jenn @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge said...

What an incredible story! Often with scrappy quilts, the fading softens the colour palettes and makes them work even better. And then there's the love that soaks in with use... that colours it more than anything. Thanks for linking up with Throwback Thursday @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge!

Chantal said...

Awh! Lucky you! My grandmother's quilts disappeared and I didn't get to keep one. You should write this story down and add a label to the quilt. It is truly a beauty. In the pictures, it still look in very good condition. I want to make one just like that. Thanks for sharing this with us. Lucky girl! ;^)

helenjean@midgetgemquilts said...

Oh Lisa, that is so lovely, both the story and the quilt. Its lovely that she was able to share her quilts with her grandchildren, particularly at the time of your marriage.

Cheryl said...

Beautiful quilt and story! I love the hand quilting.

Anja @ Anja Quilts said...

What a great story. So glad Dwight was able to have the quilt he wanted.

Unknown said...

I like the quilt

Lorna McMahon said...

What a beautiful story.... And lovely quilt. Stitched with love and filled with memories. Thanks so much for sharing, Lisa!

Kate @ Smiles From Kate said...

Oh Lisa, the quilt is beautiful and I have so enjoyed reading the story behind it. What wonderful memories you have all bound up together. Thank you so much for sharing this, it is truly inspirational.
Smiles
Kate