GRANDMOTHER'S' FANCY WORK

This quilt was inspired by the postings of Kelly Cline Quilting on Facebook..  I first started following her years ago because of her fantastic quilting on her long arm machine.  She is also a collector of feedsack material, trimmings, and embroidery; and makes wonderful pincushions, bookmarks, and cards from her collections.  She believes that it is alright to cut into these treasures to make something new to extend their life to add joy to the present.  So, with that permission, I pulled down off the shelves my own treasures of my grandmothers' 'fancy' work.  Some have been stored for my entire married life; never used or enjoyed.  It's time!!!  I've never had any use for doilies or dresser scarves as times and styles have changed.  But, maybe a quilt can be saved and enjoyed by my grandchildren as a combination of all their grandmothers' 'fancy' work from several generations.

THE STATS:  Grandmothers' Fancy Work, 2026, 29" x 29", Machine Embroidered, Machine Pieced, Machine Quilted.  Made with my Grandmothers' fancy work and fabrics from my five decades of fabric scraps.

ABOUT THE GRANDMOTHERS

I was fortunate to have spent many hours with my grandmothers from childhood even through the first twenty years of my married life.  My maternal grandmother Billingslea embroidered, appliqued, quilted; my paternal grandmother Haines crocheted, hooked rugs; great grandmother DeLong embroidered,  quilted; and great grandmother Maddex tatted.  They considered this their 'fancy' work.  After a day on the prairie working in the garden, cooking, preserving food for winter, cleaning, laundry on a washboard, and raising kids; they were sometimes able to sit down, rest and cool off to do some 'fancy' work.  Examples of their work are included in this quilt.  I have retained also some of their work complete and in excellent condition including a set of seven dishtowels embroidered with days of the week, quilts, and a large crocheted lace tablecloth which were all wedding gifts to us 68 years ago.  Also, included is a sheet/ pillowcase set with tatted edging made by great grandmother's sister, Minnie.  It was a wedding gift from Aunt Minnie who attended our wedding as the oldest guest there!  She is another interesting family story; a story for another day.  If you're family, you know!!!

I have been inspired greatly by these women plus my mother who was a career-oriented woman who didn't do 'fancy' work.  Briefly as a young mother, she did some family sewing until I learned how to sew at age 11 when she turned the mending over to me.  Included in this quilt is a scrap of fabric from the skirt for my childhood dressing table that she made.  After achieving many of her own career goals, she retired after 35 years from the U. S. Department of Agriculture to enjoy her grandchildren.    

I'm sure my mother might have temporarily lamented that I chose a life of doing 'fancy' work instead of choosing the career I was trained for in college.  But, she always told me that a woman could accomplish anything she desired with work and dedication.  

Here is a picture of me at age 11 with my grandmothers.