The  b5media Lifestyles Channel, of which Quilting and Patchwork is a part, recalls the 1980s for their Theme Day this month.  I’ll reminisce about the 80’s as it relates to my quilting.

At that time I was operating my in-home quiltmaking business, writing a quilt business column for a Quilt World Omnibook magazine (which no longer is published), interviewing quilters for the local newspaper, and learning all I could about this fascinating topic.

Beginnings of my Quiltmaking

Although I first made a quilt with my grandmother, in the 1940s, my quiltmaking business began during the United States’ Bicentennial Years of 1975-76, when my mom needed quilts to sell in her country grocery store.  The lady who made them couldn’t keep up with the orders.  There was a resurgence of quiltmaking during that time with anything quilted and patchwork having great appeal.

The quilts evolved into pillows, table cloths, potholders, placemats, skirts and aprons…in fact, anything in this line.  A write-up about MEA’s Quilts in Yankee Magazine almost overwhelmed me with orders, but was exciting, too. 

Projects that stand out in my mind:

• Missouri Star quilt for one of Mother’s customers
• Patchwork aprons for costumes
• Sunbonnet Sue quilt and pillow shams for a little girl’s bed
• Quilt in Southwestern colors I was asked to design
• Hand quilting two older family quilts
• Quilt order from a prisoner
• Taking a quilt design class taught by Michael James

Quiltmaking…a Family Affair

It’s enjoyable now to see my daughter, Beth Mastin, participating in quiltmaking.  She’s become involved in areas I never tried…such as dyeing and painting fabrics and making fabric for mixed media art.  (Her blog is Meandering Threads, where you can view some of her projects.)

My granddaughter currently is making a Civil War era quilt for a school project with reproduction fabrics of that era.  It shall be interesting to see her finished work.

Did you participate in the Bicentennial quilting and the resurgence of the 1980s?  I’d love to have you share your story here.

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

My Quilting in the 80’s

 When I wrote the post, Quilting in the Classroom, Marijke Durning shared with me her daughter’s experience making a quilt for a school project.  I thought it so interesting, I wanted to share it with you.

When my now 19-yr-old daughter was in grade 5, she was studying slavery and the underground railroad. She had read about the quilts that may or may not have been used for escaping and the idea intrigued her.

What she did, with a bit of help from me, is made a picture quilt of what slaves may have had to come across while escaping. She glued fabric to a larger wallhanging size. If I remember correctly, she made a cabin, a river, trees, a clothes line, stuff like that. I helped her sandwich it and put a few stitches in here and there so it looked quilt-like. The project was displayed and she was very happy with it.

She’s never made another quilt, but this one was very special, I think.

I think that sounds like a very special project, too.  My granddaughter, a junior in high school, is making a Civil War era quilt, using reproduction fabrics from that era.  I’ll be writing more about that, as she gets further along with her quilt.

Have you worked with quilting projects in the classroom or in homeschooling?  Have your youngsters made or studied about quilts at school?

I’d love to hear about these projects.

(Marijke Durning is another b5media writer. You’ll find her blog, Help My Hurt, at the Science and Health Channel.)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Student Makes Quilt Depicting Slavery & the Underground Railroad