Snowy days in March also remind me of a saying in our home when I was growing up, “Remember the Blizzard of ‘88.”  My grandparents lived during the unforgettable blizzard that paralized the east coast area starting March 11, 1888.  Grandpa’s stories of this time were fascinating to me as a child.

If you’d like to learn more about this period in our history, check out my page, More About the Blizzards of 1888 & Other Storms. (There also was an earlier severe blizzard in the West in 1888.)

Post from: Blisstree

Snowy Days are Quilting Days

Why take photos?  Here are 10 of the reasons:

1. To have a record
2. To remember specific patterns and designs
3. To document your techniques
4. To build a portfolio or album
5. To put on your blog
6. To show customers
7. To use for making your own fabric
8. To play with in photo programs
9. To enter contests and shows
10. To have for PR purposes

And…Just to have for memories

 Why do you take photos of your quilting projects?

(Amazon image)

Post from: Blisstree

10 Reasons to Photograph Your Quilts

Since my grandmother, my aunt and their friend Susie tied their quilts, that’s what I knew.  When I helped them make quilts, you might say I attended a “tying bee,” when they spread the layers out on the large dining table and tied and chatted.

When I began making quilts during the Bicentennial Years of 1975-76, I naturally tied them.  I continued to do so to make the quilts affordable.  Because it doesn’t take so long to tie, I could sell the quilts at prices within the budget  of more people than if they had been quilted.

However, I did quilt several quilts.  These were old family tops that customers wanted me to finish for them.  I enjoyed this, but I had to charge much more than when I tied quilts.  Admittedly, with the old quilt tops, that were hand stitched to begin with, quilting was a better finish.

Penny Halgren has a great tutorial on tying quilts if you want to learn more about this and how to do it.  Check out Tying Your Quilt.  She also had a very informative article on quilt tying in her free monthly e-mail newsletter.

Post from: Blisstree

Do You Prefer Tying Your Quilts?

Mother had been a school teacher and held parties for her students.  Even though she was no longer taught after we four children were born (school districts were very reluctant to hire married teachers, particularly ones with children, in those days), she introduced us to many of the activities she’d enjoyed with her students.  She also cooked special foods for Valentine’s Day, midst her busy day of mom and farm wife duties.

• Mother decorated a cake with white frosting and red hearts.  When we were old enough, sister and I did this.
• She helped us children decorate a mail box for our cards.
• We had a family fun time making and addressing valentines for family members.  When we were in school we had exchanges there, too.
• Mother planned a special night meal for Valentine’s Day, with the cake and fruit for dessert.  There was only our family…four children, Mother, Father and the hired man…but we had a joyous time.
• We made decorations to hang around the kitchen (the warmest room in our farmhouse during winter), and name cards for each place setting.

I continued this when our daughter was small and now we have Valentine’s Day celebrations with the grandchildren.

What do you do for Valentine’s Day at your house?

(Amazon image)

Post from: Blisstree

Valentine’s Day Parties for Quilters & Kids

Some activities involving birds are mentioned below.  You may want to involve your children in them, or use them as quilting inspiration.

• Do you have a bird feeder you keep well stocked in winter?
• Do you read and learn about birds?
• Can you recognize various bird songs when you hear them?  Some are very familiar while others are unusual.
• Do you draw and paint pictures of birds? Or incorporate them in your fabric art?
• Do you try to take photos of birds?
• What do you know about birds in other countries?

One year when my daughter was small (she’s grown now with children of her own), she asked for a bird feeder for a Christmas gift.  Both of her grandmothers gave her one.  So we put a feeder in the front yard and another in our back yard.  It was interesting to see that different birds seemed to come to each.

My mother always enjoyed birds and taught my brothers, sister and me much about them as we watched the various ones around our farm.  When my mother developed Alzheimer’s, she found great enjoyment watching the birds at the feeder on our deck.

Why don’t you start a list and see how many different birds you see this year…at home and wherever you might travel.  This also is a fun activity to do with your youngsters.

(Amazon image)

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National Bird Day…Inspiration for Quilters

I recall, even though it was many years ago, the lovely silk pillow cases with golden fringe my Uncle Al sent to my grandmother when he was stationed in California during World War II.  These pillow cases had scenes from San Francisco where Uncle Al visited.  One had the Golden Gate Bridge on it and the other a scene from Chinatown.

My grandmother stuffed throw pillows in the cases and placed them on the couch in her living room (we called it a parlor in those days), where they fascinated me as I imagined this place Uncle Al visited.  (Many years later I saw it for myself.)

I don’t know what happened to the silk cases.  However, I can imagine using them as the centerpiece of a memory quilt hanging, if I ever found them…and they were in usable condition.

If you have souvenir pillows, have you ever considered creating a memory quilt hanging with them?

(Adam Hersh Posters image)

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Silk Pillows from World War II

I was a child during those years of World War II and give talks about this era to those who have no memories of it. 

“Write down your memories about World War II,” someone told me.  So I’ve begun doing this so that my daughter, grandchildren and future generations will have some connection with it.  My stories also have been published in anthologies about this era.

If your family members lived during the World War II era, why not ask them about their memories?  Write down or capture on tape these memories as well  Compile some of these in scrapbooks or photo albums. 

I’ve seen memory quilts with photos and memorabilia of a family member’s participation in the war.  They make a nice patriotic tribute to anyone who contributed in some way to our freedom.

(Amazon image)

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Memories of Pearl Harbor Day

Thank you, my readers and fellow quilt lovers, for sharing your memories and experiences with “blankies” and quilts your grandmothers or moms made you.  I hope you’re writing them down, taking pictures of the quilts if they still exist, and preserving these memories for future generations.

I’d like to share some of these with other readers, so from time to time will post your comments here since not so many people may see them in a comment.

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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Thanks for “Blankie” and Grandma Quilting Memories

Feedsack fabrics fascinate me.  So I collect them whenever I can. I haven’t done a great deal with those I’ve accumulated so far.  But they bring back memories.

These are what Nanny used for many of the squares in the quilts she and I pieced for my sister, brothers and myself.  The feed for the chickens on their farm came in bags made of these colorful fabrics.

Two of the sacks I used for my first clothing sewing project in 4-H.  My very first was a drawstring apron.  The next was a drawstring skirt that I modeled in the 4-H fashion show.

My daughter has found feedsack fabric interesting, too, and has used it for some of her projects.

I discovered an interesting post today, A Few Fun Facts About Feedsack History, at Charms of Ordinary Days.  You may want to check this out.

Share with us your feed sack memories and use of this type of fabric in your quilting and art.

Related Posts:

Memories of Feed Sack Quilts

Collecting Old Fabrics for Quilts & Mixed Media Art

A Tribute to My Grandmother for My Quilting Heritage

(Amazon image)

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Feedsacks for Quilts in Memory & History

When I saw the picture of this rocking chair surrounded by patchwork border, I was reminded of my grandmother and quilting.  I learned to quilt with Nanny, who sat in her rocking chair beside the kitchen window. 

There she could look out beyond the porch and see what was going on at the barn.  She also saw anyone coming up the pathway, from driveway to the house.  In summer, she rocked on the porch where she got a greater view of goings on at the farm and around the yard.

Nanny stitched quilt patches in her lap, while I sat in a chair beside her doing the same.  Auntie often cut the pieces for us from printed feed sacks and fabrics left over from her sewing. 

This is where Nanny made quilts for my sister, brothers and me.

Do you have special memories about a rocking chair or other piece of memorabilia?

(Amazon image)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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Memories of Grandmother Quilting in Her Rocking Chair