Recording Your Family Craft Heritage

 The stories associated with the crafts your family enjoyed in past years or pursue today make a fascinating history and contribute to your family heritage.  I’ve particularly found it fun to trace my family’s connection with quiltmaking.  This is on my mother’s side.  I haven’t sound much connecting any of my dad’s family to crafts and handiwork, although I imagine they did these as part of their daily chores.

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 For women of years ago didn’t need to find a hobby.  They had all the handiwork they could manage as they made quilts for beds, crocheted and hooked rugs for their floors, sewed clothing for their families, made samplers to teach young girls stitching, did gardening as a necessity (although they planted flowers to cheer their lives), and wrote letters as a means of communication.

 Through Mother’s family, I’ve found my quilting heritage.  My grandfather, in his journals, mentions his mother attending quilting gatherings (he didn’t call them bees).  My mom spoke of learning to sew when family and friends gathered.  Her older cousin wrote her about quiltmaking (and I still have that letter). 

I recall learning to quilt and hook rag rugs at my grandmother’s side.  My mother encouraged me to pursue this as a home business at one point in my life.  My daughter and granddaughter have continued this art.

 So….record the memories of family crafts.  Take pictures of your work and that of family members.  Save old quilts and quilt squares and try to find their history.  Retain the stories of your family craft heritage for future generations.