The Friendship Quilt

While I was growing up there were treasures in our basement.
I know because they were my Gramma's things that my Grampa had put away. We used to get to go down with him and look through a lot of it and he would tell us about everything.

There was an old wooden *hope chest* that my Gramma's, Grampa, made for her, covered with an old, dull green, woolen army blanket (everything was covered with old, dull green, woolen, army blankets), that held the things she had lovingly made for the Grandchildren  she would not live to meet, and two old quilts.  They are both beautiful and a lot of love and time went into both, my personal favorite was this one;

The Friendship Quilt

Gramma's friends made it for her.
Each block is made with the same fabric pieces, sewn onto the sun yellow foundation, and each has the maker's name signed and embroidered in the center. Only one bears the year, 1941.
We recognize a few of the names as being family member's, a few as being our friends Grandmother's and a few we wonder about...Seratha S., Romina, and Leta N.

As the nights are beginning to to usher in a little of the Fall chill that makes you want to tuck your nose under the covers, but not close the window's. the time my thoughts turn to these kind of quilts. Partly because they weigh half a ton, each, but mostly because of the love that was put into every stitch. And everyone knows you sleep better under a hand made quilt because of that!

My Gramma Stokes used to host many a Quilting Bee in her tiny living room, where the quilt was set up with chairs filled with women and girl's surrounding it, kids playing under it and more women fussing over food being served, traiding off places every now and agian. Some times there were a few quilts set up in the shade on a Summer's lawn. Quilting Bee's were an all day affair, seeing quilts finished to the point of binding.  Who ever had a quilt that needed quilting either hosted a Bee, or, helped at them, and there always seemed to be one going on somewhere. And I am sure that much, much, more than quilts were made.

With the progress of quilting machines and the rush people often find themselves in, the Quilting Bee has been lost, and sadly with it, the time that women of all ages had together to form bonds of support, learning, sharing and love.


I'm thinking we need to get a quilt on, what do you say?!

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.