First - the memories

I had no idea what to write about until a friend mentioned my avatar. The quilt block! Yes, I could write about the quilt block, or rather the memories associated with this quilt block. This particular block is one of many that I inherited from my Grandma, Anna Howard. The piecing is very precise and the color, a beautiful deep red, is still as bright as the day it was stitched together with the muslin to create this beautiful block. I have several blocks, quilt tops and scraps that had been stored since the 30s and 40s. Amazingly, most are in good shape - one even has the paper pieces still attached in places - bits of news from the 30s attached to the backside. The real story, though, is how my Grandma, along with her mother and sisters, would sit when the day's work was finished and create these quilts. The hands of these women, and most women from that era, were never idle. They stitched, crocheted and knitted. They cut up clothing that had been passed down and remade so many times that there was nothing left to do but glean the not-so-worn bits to use in their quilts. The buttons, snaps, hooks and eyes, zippers and any decorative bits were all carefully removed and set aside to be used in a new garment. Very rarely did they purchase new fabric just to make a quilt! Nothing was wasted in those days. I believe we could take a hint from these frugal women...........