Skip to main content

Wonders

Using enbroidery stitches to rescue the vintage applique work on the cutter quilt piece worked out nicely, I think. All the other repairs I made will help preserve it for a few more years, too.

The whole time I worked on this piece I had a very strong feeling of being connected to the past, and the person who first made this quilt. The original maker chose a good quality muslin for the background and backing fabric, and quilted it by hand so densely that the batting never had a chance to wad up or migrate -- all signs of lots of experience. They wanted this quilt to last and become a beloved thing (and I think it was, judging by the signs of wear.) I'd guess the piece is about seventy years old.

Following the stitches the maker used as I added my own gave me a lot of pleasure, too, and made me wonder about the original quilt. What did it look like? Was this a birthday gift for a young girl, or a wedding present for a new couple? Or did the maker just make it for herself? How many different people did this quilt keep warm over the decades since it was finished?

As I was finishing my work on the back of the piece, I found a small old bloodstain on top of a row of hand stitches. The maker jabbed herself with her needle and left a little of her DNA in this quilt. Maybe that's why I felt such a strong connection to her.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stuff

After finding this Caron one pound skein of lovely peach yarn in my thrifted lot I raided my stash for two cakes of Mandala in Pegasus, which matches it perfectly. For practice and hand therapy I'm going to make another Worth Street Afghan with this free pattern , but this time I'll use the yarn that was recommended for it plus the one pound skein. I'm not quite ready to do the vintage/recycled linen quilt I had planned (still a bit too nervous about the idea), so I'm going to use some color therapy and make a quilt from these thrifted green fat quarters. I considered doing another Yellow Brick road patchwork pattern, but I might go with a split rail fence like this one.
Post a Comment
Read more

Journal Find

This is a page from my 2010 poetry journal. My handwriting isn't the best, so I'll transcribe it: If my heart survives to tell all the secrets kept inside it will be an abalone shell in which the beauty did reside. But I think I will always be lost to the tides that rage in me . . . humbling and polishing . . . I don't write many self-portrait poems, but this one isn't too embarrassing. A bit overly dramatic, but the girl I was eleven years ago went through some tough times. I'm in a much more peaceful place today.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Numbers

Back in March my diabetes doctor changed my medication and encouraged me to alter my diet and exercise more in order to bring down my A1C, which at the time tested out at a dismal 8.3 (normal is 5.8.) So for the next two months I dealt with the increased meds, stuck to my decidedly grim diet and added a lot more walking to my exercise regime. P.S., it's never fun to be a diabetic, but over the last couple of months I've really tried to keep a good attitude about it. Attitude isn't everything, but it helps a lot when you have to make significant changes while battling a disease like this. Yesterday I performed a home A1C test, and I'm currently at 6.5. That's pretty amazing results, even for me. If I can get it down another half point before I see the doctor in July I'd be over the moon, but I feel like I've already done great. Image credit: Image by Daniele Liberatori from Pixabay
Post a Comment
Read more