Quilts

Momma could sew. Buddy could she sew.  When I was little she would sometimes sew clothes for me until my teenage years when her clothes weren't cool anymore.  Often my "Decoration Day" and Easter dresses were handmade. 

Two of Momma's favorite things to do were reading and sewing.  Grace Livingston Hill books were her favorites.  Seemed like she had hundreds of the Hill books.  She would find them at a used book store in Maryville which was the only book store she would shop in.  Sometimes Momma would find a used Grace Livingston Hill book or two.  Sometimes not.  She was very excited when the sometimes happened instead of the sometimes not.

Momma loved to quilt.  I supposed she loved it.  I never really asked her.  Maybe it was just something she had learned as a child because her family had to make quilts or have no blankets.  Momma worked in a few sewing mills from time to time when Daddy had layoffs at TVA.  Daddy took me to the mill a time or two for a visit and there was a soda machine at the main door of the warehouse.  Grape Nehi's were maybe a nickel and Daddy always bought me one.  The mill was the only place I would drink a Grape Nehi.  For some reason the sewing mill was the only place it tasted good.  Perhaps because it was the comfort of being near Momma.  Perhaps because the Nehi was just different than what I normally would drink.  Funny how your mind works.  While typing this I can almost hear the hums of the sewing machines, smell the smell of fabric and heat form the machines, and taste the cool grape of the Nehi.

Momma often quilted with a neighbor who had quiling frame which stretched the quilt top into one large square. The frame hung from the ceiling. Momma and her friends would start stichting on opposite corners and roll the quilt until it then meet in middle to finish off the last few stitches.  

The photo to the right is an example of a ceiling hung frame they used. 

Momma had mentioned for years wanting a large quilting frame of her own, a smaller one than one hanging from the ceiling to stretch the whole quilt top out at once but one larger than the lap square she used. Quilters have their own style for a stitch and the length of stitch varies from person to person. Momma liked having her own frames because she preferred, like most quilters do, quilting her own quilt.  Working on and finishing your own quilt made the blanket more uniform and perfect in your own hand.  Daddy had a stand up, lap type quilting frame made for her for Christmas.  She loved it.  The new frame was much better than the small lap square quilting frame she used to stretch small sections of the quilt top. Photo below is a quilting frame like the one Daddy had made for Momma.

One time I decided it was time for me to learn to sew and quilt.  I chose to make a Fan Quilt.  I picked out my fabric scrapes and sewed them together on the sewing machine.  When my squares were finished and ready to be sewn together for the quilt top....well, it was horrible.  Momma had to take the whole thing apart and start from scratch.  I never tried quilting again.  She finished the Fan Quilt and it was beautiful.  The way Momma took care of my messed up creation reminds me of the way she was forever cleaning up my messes and mistakes in such a loving way.  Not just cleaning up but repairing so that things were finished and lessons learned.  I have no idea where the old Fan Quilt is today.  It was around 1983 or so when I had my hand at it.  I'd say Momma gave the quilt away to someone in the family but it's the one quilt I wish she had kept.

When I was in high school one of my teachers convinced Momma into making a quilt for her.  It's the only quilt I remember Momma sewing to sell.  All the others, during her lifetime, were given to family and friends or kept for our use.


Some of Momma's Quilts:



One of my favorites Momma quilted.  Made 1970's.  
I'm snuggled in it right now.

Momma had always talked about sewing a Dogwood
quilt for years and finally did mid 80's.  
She did an amazing job.



Momma's pride and joy. Her Dogwood quilt.  She was
always excited when a quilt was finished.  But I still
remember her expression and the way she talked about
this particular quiltwhile she was creating it and then
when it was finished.



The four quilts I still have of Momma's.  
The leaf quilt is my favorite.  
All are used. Except the Dogwood.

Original photo of Momma's Dresden Plate Quilt
taken around 1986?  My niece Jessie and nephew 
Tanner are standing on each side Momma always
spread her newly finished quilts out on a bed
and took a photo. Her quilts were to be used,
not hung on a wall.  So I guess she wanted
 a photo before they became ratted and tatted.



Original photo Momma took of her

Dutch Girl quilt.  Another favorite of mine.  I'd say

she made the Dutch Girl mid to late 1970's.



My cousin, a photographer, was visiting from North Carolina and wanted to snap a photo of Momma and I together.  The skirt in the photo is the last thing I remember Momma making for me before she died in 1990.  I had bought the sweater and realized later I had nothing to wear with it.  Momma and I found the fabric and a pattern and she made the skirt.  I thought the match was perfect and wore the outfit a lot.  This photo was around 1985-1986.