Thursday, October 27, 2005

Aunt Mary's Quilt

A few weeks ago I promised you some picture of Aunt Mary's Quilt. Well here they are! Now my sister took them and she is not a quilter, so you have to realize they aren't the type of pics we probably would have taken of it!

This is the quilt I found in my mom's hope chest one day while I was a little girl. From that moment on this quilt HAD to be on my bed! I loved it so much. My mom always wanted to put it away because in area's it was ripped and torn - but I just loved that quilt and always wanted it on the bed. That need for it stayed even in high school when usually things needed to be the newest and the best, and even through college when I was home on visits.

So recently that quilt has been haunting me. I made my mom dig it out of some boxes where she packed it when she moved to Delaware next door to my sister. And made my sister take some pictures for me. I could remember that it had this awesome purple fabric backing and I could remember there was some bold and guady purple on the front. But for the life of me I just couldn't remember anything else.
Well I finally got the pictures! And oh YES - I remember that purple backing now! Isn't it great! And I knew the blocks were made very scrappy and with some kind of block with many pieces but I just couldn't remember what. I was so glad to get those pictures and renew my memories!

Oh course then I had to ask my mom where she got it. (And at the time I couldnt' remember it was Aunt Mary's quilt either). I guess when my mom and dad were newly married and younger, my grandma (my mom's mom) and her sister (Aunt Mary) would come over for dinner at my mom and dad's house a lot. Since both were widowed and neither drove, my dad would go pick both of them up from their houses and bring them over. They would eat with my mom and dad (and me a bit later when I was a baby) and then play cards until late at night. Then when it got late my dad would drive both of them home - usually to my grandma's house and Aunt Mary would spend a few days with her sister there. In later years when I was in my young grade school years and my grandma lived with us, my dad would still go pick up Aunt Mary for dinner and cards occassionaly. So one visit Aunt Mary brought over this quilt and gave it to my mom and dad - since they always took such good care of her.
WOW - now that quilt is even more sentimental to me! I barely remember Aunt Mary, I seem to recall when she died, but not much else. But I sure remember her quilt and how much I love it. My mom seems to being cleaning out belongings and giving them to the grandchildren (my sister, brother and I got a lot things when she moved a few years ago). And my mom always said I would get the quilt. I bet I get that quilt this year for a xmas present (or at least I hope)! I can't wait to see it again in real life!

5 comments from wonderful readers:

Granny said...

What a neat quilt! And, I LOVE the backing!!

Judy L.

Nines said...

Ahhh... Loved the sentimental story and the quilt! The backing is awesome. I have an old quilt- very somber in black and navy and white on the front but bubble-gum pink on the back! These ladies had to have had a sense of humor! Here's hoping it's under your Xmas tree!

Darcie said...

Oh Dawn,

That's a great story! Awesome. I know that you've documented it here...but do think about journaling that somewhere in paper.

Just think back to all of the stories that that quilt holds!

I'm glad that you were able to share this with us...what a triumphant close to a hectic, trying week for you! Cheers!!!

Finn said...

Love the quilt Dawn!!! I'll keep my fingers crossed that it lands under your tree this year.

I was looking at the last pic of it, and it almost looks like it's a Tumbling Blocks, set to form a star pattern. And either trimmed even for a block or pieced in with a half triange instead of the 3 diamond. What do you think???

Tonya Ricucci said...

Dawn, love the story and the quilt. Fun brightness everywhere and an awesome backing fabric.