Oldies but Goodies!

Velvets n Wools, tied with yarn. Lumpy and loved to pieces.

I did my presentation on Quilt Art/Traditional Quilt at quilt guild Wednesday evening. It was fun!
I had put together a slide show to accompany my personal trunk show. I started with my first quilt, built when I was 16 years old. I used a Kleenex box as a template, tracing around it onto the fabric. I wanted to make a copy of a family heirloom quilt my Mom had slept under as a child. She told the story of lying under the old quilt when ill, wearing out the velvet and satins with constant stroking. I wanted a 'sick quilt' of my own to hand down someday. It has covered myself and my family until it is simply frazzled! Doubleknit backed wool from that era did not hold up to washings...

Those of you that quilt have probably run into the problem of generous people that want to give you all their old fabric. "I know you are a quilter and will use these!" When my beloved Grandma Keagle dumped her fabrics from the 1950s and 60s on me, what could I say but ''Thank you''? I had to make a quilt out of it, but gave it back to her suggesting she let her grandkids use it in the yard for suntanning and such. If they got it dirty or oily, it would wash. I had made it sturdy! When I showed the quilt to my sis-in-law she inadvertently named it for me-'Vietnam' (as in war zone of the day) Grandma kept such good care of it, it is still pristine to this day...

But, you see, if you take everything offered to you, good/bad/ugly, you may be given a family treasure.  Grandma K's next offering was all of her late husband's ties. I was just 5 when Grandpa Keagle died, so I didn't really remember him, except for the loving stories my Mom told about him. He was responsible for naming me Melinda. Lindy is my nickname. So, I built a tie quilt in memory of Grandpa K. using tie tacks and lapel pins from fraternal orders, parade mementos, and high school year pins from my Mom and my late husband. I 'decorated' the blocks with the labels off the backs of the ties.

When my present husband returned from his service in Vietnam he was warned not to wear his uniform-for his own safety. I made this quilt to honor him and his love of country. Politics of the times aside, he is an honorable man.

And of course I had to show off my latest play! Thread sketching THE grandbaby!