After visiting the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum this week, I was inspired to bring my quilts out of storage: two quilts that my great-grandmother Jean (my father’s grandmother) made for me.
The first was gifted to me in 1993, when I was 10. The pieces are all hand-embroidered and each includes the name of one of my half-siblings or cousins.
Before my museum visit, I would never have specifically looked at the quilting stitch. This first quilt features hearts; the second has a scallop design.
The second quilt is newer. I remember one Thanksgiving when my great-grandmother asked me what my favorite color was. That’s always been a complicated question for me, so I said “peacock colors.”
I received my peacock-inspired quilt in 2009.
These quilts are precious to me, so unfortunately they don’t see the light of day very often — I keep them tucked away in our linen closet. It was such a delight to have an excuse to dig them out and take a close look at the work my great-grandmother undertook out of love for me. (And not just for me, of course: all of the children in the Minton family receive quilts like this!)
I love this, Erica, because I too have a quilt from my grandmother (equivalent to your quilt’s age; in fact our daughter is exactly your age!) But I would encourage you not to keep them all tucked away. I keep mine as a cover to our guest bed – and leave it on even when we have guests. They really enjoy and appreciate it and I have even washed mine on cold & gentle in the washing machine. Unless the fabric is really deteriorating, I think you’ll find them pretty resilient. And every time I walk by or in the guest room, my heart is warmed ♥️. (Hope this doesn’t come across as too corny or preachy??.)
I came here to say this! 🙂 As a person who hand-makes gifts, there’s no greater honor or appreciation than to see them use, displayed, etc. They are meant to be treasured, yes, but also enjoyed. 🙂