Friday, July 11, 2008

Great Grandmothers Quilt

I never knew my great grandmother, but I figure she was a accomplished stitcher, she left myself and my 3 sisters a quilt each. She hand made all of them.



My older sisterhttp://tinaramsey.blogspot.com/ got the bow tie pattern, which is really recognizable....But I don't know now.....mine might be a toss up. Can you guess which one it is?


I'm thinking...my hubby being "Jack of All Trades" and my sister's hubby being "Mr Fix-It", might have something to do with it.


My great grandmother used white on white, this is the mixed wrench pattern. It is a old, traditional, method of quilting, using super scraps.


Each square pattern measured 6'' x 6'' and the overall size of the quilt is 60'' x 70''.


She back lined it with white and hand quilted the log cabin pattern.




Lottsa work. C & G Design.

13 comments:

tina said...

I have no idea. Mechanics square?

Lola said...

I just happened upon your blog. I love it. The quilt is so beautiful. I have a quilt {one of the last} that my mother made by hand. Even tho it's not finished I honor it.

Cindy said...

Oh what a treasure. I can't even get my little wall hanging quilt finished. Maybe this winter when there is no gardening to do.

Skeeter said...

I just love the old quilts stitched by hand. They seem to last forever!

Dawn said...

Hi guys,
Tina, Mixed wrench but mechanics square works! lol
Hi Lola, so glad to have you aboard, these things from our families are very near and dear, I'd still love it undone.
Cindy, What is the pattern? I have just...afew! I need to finish.
Hi Skeeter! Got my mail working, 96 mails came in! Some from 7/1! Grrr! Left you a reply. Beautiful pics! I gasped.

Jean Merriman said...

All 4 of the quilts that my grandmother made graced the bottom of my bed, one at a time, at some point till I gave them to you girls. Nana told me not to give them to you till you were older but you all now have them and I miss them as they are all lovely. However there was also one for me and it now graces the bottom of my bed all the time. No changing the scene anymore. Grammie used to quilt ALL THE TIME. I remember as a kid her going to quilting bee's that they had at least once a week at the church and Grammie always went to them also. The one's that were done at the church were raffled off to make money for the church. Grammie was spoiled in the fact that they always had a live in housekeeper so had plenty of time for her quilting. A tid-bit of info for you girls, Grammie died when I was a senior in high school and Grampie had died when I was a Freshman.

Skeeter said...

What wonderful memories Jean. I also lost my grandmother and grandfather way too early in life. My grandmother was able to see me walk the stage on graduation day but was not here for my wedding day. Sigh, I still miss her today but she lives on inside me with all she taught me!

Dawn said...

It occurred to me when I was writing-- I first wrote my grandmothers mother, then I thought.....might be the other. I'll have to look at yours and find the pattern for you mom.

Jean Merriman said...

Hi Lola, good to see you on here also!!! Even if it is not finishe I know it is a treasured quilt, glad you have it.

Yes, Skeeter we can learn so much from our grandparents and that sure does make them live inside of us. I have a lot of their stuff and treasure it all. My other grandmother also died too young and did'nt get to see me graduate as she was in the finaly stage of her life when I graduated and her husband had died when my father was 4 years old. She raise 6 great kids all by herself after he died and never remarried. But she was a real sweetie and everyone in our small town called her "Nannie" She truly was a "Nannie" to all the kids in town!! She lived near the school so the kids always stopped there and showed their report cards to her when they got them, so she saw them before the parents did. Funny. At the time it made me mad that I had to stand in line to show mine but she NEVER showed favorites, I was just one of the other town kids. But now I know that spoke volumns of the true lady she was.

You were right, Dawn, it was from Nana's mother. As much of a sweetie as Nannie was, I do not ever remember her doing any crafts. Probably raising 6 kids alone, she never had time for crafts. Never thought of that before. Aunt Evelyn is the only one left that would know so I will have to ask her sometime. We will probably go to Calais again this summer and will find out then.

Skeeter said...

Jean, that is such a sweet story! Do they even bring report cards home today? Our house pretty much was Grand Central Station due to all the kids hanging out there! Parents never had to worry when their kids were missing because they always knew they were at our house! Ah, those were the days!

Jean Merriman said...

Nope they don't bring them home anymore....too many would change the marks or not take them home, sad, very sad.

I know the feeling....when the twins were in school they spent so much time here due to Tina being in Iraq, ect and could not take the kids, they would come here so when they got in high school, after a while they wanted to come here to finish and graduate here and they did. I always called my house Grand Central Station. We have even all been uptown and come home and found half dozen kids in the house. They knew it was okay and we would be home soon. However, it was just a little strange to find all those kids here that did not live here!!! But I would not have changed a thing, rather have them all here and know what they were doing!!!

Skeeter said...

That is what my parents said Jean, they always knew where we were during those days! I am so glad you were able to spend such quaility time with the twins! So many grandmothers hardly see their grandchildren... Sad....

Jean Merriman said...

Skeeter, I used to have people say to me all the time that they did'nt know how I did it and they would not do it. I would smile and tell them you do what you have to but inside I was thinking that it would be their loss and I was gald I was the twins grandmother and not them. With Tina being in the army I never would have known them like I do and I thank God for that true blessing.