Honoring those who came before us
Can you guess what we found in my mother-in-laws cedar chest after she passed away? Quilt blocks with the faded signatures of the ladies who had made them. Crazy quilt blocks. And a beautiful quilt top. None of her children knew they were there. When we asked about them we learned that they had come from her mother, Nellie Mae. Since I am the quilter in the family, they became mine!
The signature quilt blocks were the first I finished. I’m not sure what the intended purpose was. Each block appeared to be signed by a different lady. Maybe it was part of a quilting-bee block exchange? There were 12 Sunflower Girl blocks made from old flour sacks and muslin. I paired them with an old-fashioned calico fabric sashing and borders and gifted the finished quilt to my niece, Tegan at her bridal shower. As you know it’s always a good idea to document your quilts. I included a quilt label on the back with the history of the blocks. Something like: “Blocks created by Nelllie Mae Huff Ellison circa 1938, passed to her daughter, Carolyn Ellison Knight. Quilt designed by Laura Knight and given to Tegan Koca, daughter of Jennifer Knight Koca on the occasion of her marriage to Josh Rand. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house!
The bride, Tegan and her mother, Jennifer. Nellie Mae’s granddaughter and great granddaughter!
Here’s the thing, she uses it all the time. This is her cuddle on the couch with the kids quilt. The rainy day, let’s read a book quilt. The I’m chilly grab a blanket, quilt. She has embraced not just the history of the quilt but the purpose of it.
I also had the honor of completing Nellie's quilt top from the cedar chest with some custom quilting. It is a lovely vintage pattern, it looks like tulips in a basket. Nellie Mae used shades of orange and red for the flowers and the basket is a dark brown solid. It is pieced, by hand, with a muslin background. The colors are still bright and bold, everywhere except along the folds, and neither the piecing nor the edges have frayed. Even though I mounted it on my longarm with some trepidation I think it worked up beautifully.
The condition of this quilt makes me sad. I am sad because Nellie Mae Ellison passed away in 1941 when her daughter Carolyn was only 3. I am thankful that her father, George Ellison, a gentle giant of a man, (or some other relative), thought to set the quilt tops aside for Carolyn. But they remained in a box, in a cedar chest for over 60 years! I didn’t even know about them until after my mother-in-law had passed.
What a waste! I am sure that while Nellie Mae was working on the quilt top and those quilt blocks, she never intended them to be tucked away somewhere safe. She was making them to be used! I fully understand the sentiment that makes us hesitant to use our heirloom quilts. They wear out. They don’t last. But while we are using them they are giving us joy. They are reminding us of the love we shared with the person who took the time and effort to cut all those pieces of fabric and to meticulously sew them back together into a beautiful work of art.
Yes, this quilt top is in excellent shape. But I wonder how often my mother-in-law looked at it and thought of her mother. I’m guessing, not very often. I wish she had been given the opportunity to wrap it around herself at least once. I’m fairly certain, that would have made both Nellie Mae and Carolyn sigh in contentment.
The crazy blocks need some work. In fact, two blocks need the embroidery finished. I’m not sure yet what I am going to do with them there are 17 blocks that are 17 x 17. Maybe I will make a 96 inch square throw and a matching pillow. I can, however, tell you what I absolutely am not going to do with them. They are not going to stay in a box. They will become something to share. Something to love. Something to respect.
Laura
Another Crazy Quilt
PS. When my father-in-law passed away we found a second crazy quilt that just needs a backing and binding! Sadly, we have no history on it but isn't it gorgeous?