Welcome to my new blog. I’ve attempted blogging a couple of times before, and those blogs are still floating around cyberspace, but I’ve decided to start fresh and hopefully be more intentional about keeping up with it. I plan to post once a week, mostly about my quilts, but also other things as they pop up.
Every quilt has a story to tell, and I’m going to revisit some of my older quilts, and let them tell their stories. (I began quilting when I was still in high school, so I shouldn’t run out of material for a while.) I’ll also do some step-by-step (not exactly tutorials) information about the processes as I make some new quilts. Maybe I’ll even do some tutorials. I’m open to suggestions as to what kind of tutorials you are looking for. Maybe I can fill that niche (or maybe not, depending on what it is).
Every quilt has a story to tell, and I’m going to revisit some of my older quilts, and let them tell their stories. (I began quilting when I was still in high school, so I shouldn’t run out of material for a while.) I’ll also do some step-by-step (not exactly tutorials) information about the processes as I make some new quilts. Maybe I’ll even do some tutorials. I’m open to suggestions as to what kind of tutorials you are looking for. Maybe I can fill that niche (or maybe not, depending on what it is).
I’m going to start off with the story of my first quilt, started in about 1956 or 1957 with my paternal grandmother, Margaret Moore Morris. She lived with my family for a time, and one day she announced, “You and I are going to make a quilt.” I don’t remember being exactly thrilled about it, but as I recall, my mother encouraged me by saying something to the effect of, “Grandma needs to be needed.” Anyway, Grandma ordered a pattern from Michigan Farmer magazine’s quilt pattern service. There wasn’t much around in the 1950’s, since the big quilting movement was yet to happen. The pattern only had a number, no name.
Grandma and I both pieced blocks, using scraps from her collection, and unbleached muslin (she called it “factory”).
This was my first attempt at hand quilting. I did it over Christmas break during my first year of college. (Remember black and white photos?)
This was my first attempt at hand quilting. I did it over Christmas break during my first year of college. (Remember black and white photos?)
My quilt got finished in 1960. Grandma’s remained a stack of blocks (she died in 1961) and a few years later my mother made them into a quilt for my brother. Many more years later, when my children were nearly grown, my mom gave me 18 more blocks that were left over from my brother’s quilt (Grandma enjoyed piecing, and just kept making blocks, without really counting if there were enough to make a quilt). They languished in my closet for some time. After all, what do you do with 18 blocks? They don’t fit the usual parameters of a quilt. About the time my first grandchild came along, I had the idea to make a quilt for each of my three children’s first child, so that each family would have a quilt made by the child’s great-great grandmother.
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 As it looks today, well worn and beyond use. I have it put away as a keepsake. |  This block kept its color pretty well through many washings. This is the original block, and the kite shapes make a secondary design. |
Do you remember your first quilt?
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