Thank You, Quilters
We’ve got a new family blankie at our house. It’s a handmade quilt I scored at a church sale for $4. And I’m feeling extra thankful today for the talented woman (I’m assuming) that spent her many hours creating this perfect combination of function and beauty.
Sister and I were church saleing that day with her kiddos and I was trying not to buy massive amounts like I could, and had to, when I had the store. But when all the goodies are so cheap…it’s hard for a junker to hold back, right?
So I tried to sell sister on the big pile of beautifully constructed fabric, because she has more places to fill in her house than me. But the peach fabric made her nose crinkle. And honestly, it’s my least favorite color, too…
But all that treasure trove of vintage fabrics in their haphazard conglomeration… for $4?? And you know I love (and own) many vintage quilts for every season, like the Men’s Suiting quilts I told you about {Here}.
Yes, I gave into the temptation, because one can always use another blanket to keep warm, right? Despite the peach fabric not being my favorite, look at how beautifully it coordinates with my vintage map? It pulls out all the colors: blues, pinks, and rosy reds, along with the peach.
And on a day like today when all I can do is curl up in a cozy blanket with a box of kleenex by my side? I am so thankful for the quilter who spent endless hours cutting squares and triangles out of old clothes, marrying them up with beautiful vintage fabric and cushioning it all with a thick layer of batting inside.
Whomever she crafted it for has long since forgotten about it, but I am thankful for her effort and sacrifice of time.
Because creating something handcrafted not only blesses the person making it, it showers love on the receiver and everyone else who will appreciate it’s gift in the future.
It doesn’t have to be perfectly constructed, in fact, it’s less than store bought perfection is its charm. The love that it was created with has been passed down to a new receiver that couldn’t resist it’s wonkiness…and $4 price tag!
And honestly, even the back side (without that peach color) looks pretty good draped over the couch, beckoning the family to sit and cuddle a spell. You could say it’s become our family “blankie”.
So thank you, quilters, for blessing us all with your sewing abilities! And the next time you find one of these treasures at a sale for a great price? Don’t hesitate!
Do you have a favorite quilt that’s been in the family for years? Or picked one up that’s become a family favorite? It would be fun to hear about it. Better, yet, share this post and thank a quilter today!
I love the back,vintage florals make me smile!
I have a quilt that my dad made!! When he was 12 he had “double pneumonia” (since he had several blood clots later in life I believe it was probably a pulmonary embolism….one of my brothers & my daughter are life time Coumadin takers!) ANYWAYS….his mother had him make a quilt while he was recovering. He did hand embroidery of a circus on a white background with a red/white checked border and he embroidered his name and age!! I also have a quilt hanging in my bedroom that used to be on my Grandma’s bed. Thanks for sharing! Hope you feel better!
Hugs from Iowa,
Michelle
PS….I get that junkers mentality!!
What a family treasure, Michelle! And what a wise mother to keep her son’s mind & hands busy while he was laid up; not an easy task to keep his spirits up, I’m sure (especially without technology!) Thanks for sharing your memories!
It’s beautiful and I’m glad you’ll treasure it, as it deserves. The patches were more likely cut from scraps of new fabric, than of old clothes. We tend to underestimate how much wear even our clothes get. If you think back 100 years, with harsher soaps, sun drying, and fewer clothing items in rotation, clothing was pretty used up by the time someone quit wearing it. But there is enough variety in your patches that the quilter may have exchanged scraps with friends. The peach and the backing fabric likely were new purchases, since there is so much of them. Lucky you!
Thanks for the great insight, Melanie! And yes, they wore their clothes hard back then. I got a whole tub of antique clothes years ago and was amazed at the repair they had done to keep them functionable. The fabric was so thin. I soaked the whole bunch and have been ripping them and turning them into rag balls for years. Just love all that vintage fabric so much!