Sunday, April 27, 2008

I conquered the Beast!

You'd think I was showing off the beast which is done!done!done!
But really, I'm showing off my back yard which is full of forsythias! The pattern I was kinda/sorta looking at while I made this quilt left the sides of the "lover's knots" unfinished. As I put it together, they looked undone, see the top pic, at the bottom right "knot" of the quilt? now look at this side, I "applied" the forgotten corner (the purple and black 2x2 squares) to make it look finished.
This quilt is so old, I'm not sure how to date it. In the 80's, I babysat my nephew every day before and after school, he would just get the bus from here because his mom and dad were already at work. My brother is a huge outdoors man, and he befriended an old woods-woman who lived in the UP. She owned about 300 acres of forest and she let my brother hunt and fish on her land. She canned all her veg's and caught all her own meat, she was a beekeeper and sold honey in quart jars and she quilted and sold the quilts for $20 apiece! they were all different, all crazy (pun intended) and all the stitches were crooked, uneven, in different colored thread, and they were tied. My brother bought me two of them (because I would never let him pay me for babysitting) before she passed away. One is on my daughter's bed, she loves it, it weighs at least ten pounds, (all double knit polyester)and this one I keep in the RV to keep us warm on cold spring nights. This one sings to me. I should take closer photos so you could see the fabrics,
they date all the way from the fifties to the mid 70's
This is the back, oddly pieced, with one fabric of orange and yellow flowers and another fabric that I think I had bed sheets of, while I still lived at my Mom's house...(long time ago)
These quilts, to me are the epitome of "Utility Quilts" and that is exactly what I do, utilize them with all my heart!
Thanks, Bobber, for these gifts!
Hope all your Spring nights are cozy!!
lyn

6 comments:

Amelia said...

Sweet memories!

Love the yellow flowers...spring time is so uplifting!

Amelia in Oklahoma

Norma said...

These are true quilts.......and I will take one of them over one of the winners at a major quilt show. They have a story to tell, they have had a life and they are loved. If you have that, who needs a jury to say you are a winner!

Love the elephant too.......when does the bedroom redo start?

QuiltedSimple said...

Oh I love your purple quilt - I really like the borders on it.

Also - the bottom quilt - I think I had the same sheets growing up. But what a great way to live - a beautiful and fun loving quilt for all times.

Kris

Angie said...

What a beautiful quilt you made!!! I love that pattern. :) and the 'utility' quilts are just the best kind, IMHO. :)

Knot Garden said...

Well, where do I start! Your new quilt looks amazing next to the forsythias. It's nice to see how the whole quilt looks from a distance. It turned out beautifully. Great job!
What a wonderful story to go with the old quilt. I could sit and look at a quilt like that for hours.

Finn said...

Hi Granny Lyn, the purple passion is just gorgeous! Love the photo with the forsythia, which is also very beautiful. I had some of that outside my door back when we lived in Mayville *VBS* Haven't seen much of it around this area, but it is so lovely when it blooms.
The utility quilt looks just like it should...made by someone doing the best she could, where she was, with what she had. That's the true essence of quilt making, I think. Good for you for loving the gift it was, the quilt it self and the comfort it provides *VBS* You're my kind of gal!! Hugs, Finn