I'm thinking of buying a couple of bedding pieces for the kids, if I find just the right things (at the right prices). But in the meantime, I'm seeing so much old handmade beauty, such love and care and pride and skill--it all makes me just so happy.
Some of the quilts are old and worn, and some are on the primitive side. But they all have something about them that caught my eye and made me smile:
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found here. I just love all the pretty stitching on an otherwise basic crazy quilt. Follow the link to see more pictures of the loveliness!
When something shows so much attention to detail, and pleasure in the careful stitching, it lifts my spirits. It makes me wonder about the woman who spent so many hours thusly. I imagine maybe working on this quilt was her happy place.
found here. Click on the photo to enlarge and see the beautiful stitches.
I mean, how could a woman be grumpy when she was working on a quilt like this? It seems the very embodiment of good nature and positive thinking:
found here
And some of the quilts I love because they remind me of the quilts that were around my parents' house growing up. I can still call to mind the softly rumpled cotton fronts, and their smell--not old and musty, but not freshly laundered. Just somehow the comforting smell of things that seem to have always been, and which we imagine always will be. The kind of smells and thoughts that a child can wrap around herself as much as the quilt itself.
found here
Some of the quilts I would never want to own, but I marvel at the maker's vision, and the many, many hours she must have spent laboring over this creation:
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And some I would own in a heartbeat!
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Some of them are only quilt tops, waiting for someone crafty to appreciate and finish the original maker's vision:
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This next quilt's maker had a very clear vision indeed. And while I never would have thought to make a cotton boll themed quilt, and certainly not in those colors, I absolutely love the fact that this woman did. And admit it--once you realize that every boll is unique, it ends up being a little mesmerizing:
found here
I also admit that it can be a little melancholy seeing these women's special creations up for auction. These are all vintage quilts, so not made specifically for sale on eBay. They were made for a specific room, for a specific bed, for a specific loved one. Where is that loved one now? How has the quilt fallen into such disfavor, or drifted so far from those who it was made for, that the current owners have no attachment to it?
Some quilts tell such powerful stories--we can almost imagine who might have made them for what loved one. . .
found here. If you follow the link you can see close-ups of the woman's stitching
And some quilts don't keep us guessing--the maker's purpose and provenance are right there--but capture my imagination no less for it:
found here. I recommend going to the link to see more photos.
found here
Who was the woman who made this quilt? Sized for a child, but seemingly barely used. I can only guess at the story behind this labor of love:
found here
But I'm just so glad her work is living on. That others besides me are appreciating them, searching for them, buying them, using them or reusing them. Giving old, unloved things new life.
If she knew, I think she would be pleased.
It was great reading about your love for quilts. I think you know how much I do. The star quilt laying on a wood floor was stretched when it was pressed, and it would be hard to correct. I especially love the scrappy quilts.
ReplyDeleteYes, even thought you have all the talent in quilting, I inherited appreciation from you!
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean about the star. I can see the perfect use for a slightly stretched-out star: as the base for a Christmas tree skirt!!! Can you see it?
Yes, it could be used as a tree skirt. Don't know how big it is. Might have to add to it.
ReplyDeleteI love quilts. They remind me of my mom!
ReplyDeleteAnd there is something so special about a hand-stitched quilt. Nowadays there are so many machines and tools to make it easier to make a quilt, but when you look at the old ones and think about the time and skill it took to hand stitch them. It's like wrapping yourself in a blanket literally made out of love.