Friday, May 21, 2010

wedding present


 This time for Amy's virtual quilt festival I've decided to share photos of the quilt my grandmother gave us for a wedding present almost thirty years ago. This one is also particularly special because it was started by her mother (my great-grandmother) and my grandmother completed it as a gift for us.
The pattern is "Grandmother's Flower Garden." 



We used it as a bedspread and carried it to the paint store to make sure the colors we painted our bedroom matched (or at least worked with) the colors in the quilt. Unfortunately because our antique bed was made of brass, iron and bronze, there are some rust spots on the quilt where it was tucked in at the bottom of the bed. It has also been washed a few times, carefully soaked in a tub with a special cleaner for quilts, and then supported by milk cartons outside to dry. So despite our best efforts, it needs a few repairs, so I've been thinking about collecting pieces of vintage fabric to replace some of the worn and stained sections.










46 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful gift, and such a lovely thing to treasure.

Lesly said...

That is a precious gift. There's nothing like a quilt to remind one of family.

Anonymous said...

How special to have so much family history in this quilt, which you will now add to and make your own to pass on to future generations. Looks like you are having fun with jewelry too!

Penny said...

Oh you must repair it -- its a treasure worth saving and savoring.

Lisa said...

what a wonderful gift!

Anonymous said...

This quilt is lovely! I've restored a vintage quilt, Deborah, and there are a few things I learned along the way to make the job easier and to keep from damaging the integrity of the original quilt. Get in touch by e-mail if you'd like: bmooj125@comcast.net

myBearpaw said...

Wow this is lovely! I love Grandmother's flower gardens quilts.
Very special.

Anonymous said...

What a TREASURE!!! This is not just a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt, but a Great-Grandmother's Flower garden quilt!!! Such a rare heirloom. : ) Thanks for sharing!

Victoria Findlay Wolfe said...

gotta love grandma's flower garden, FROM GRANDMA!!! it's a true beauty!

SarahB said...

What a precious quilt! Making a few careful repairs sounds like the perfect idea.

Janet said...

How beautiful! I'm sure you treasure this quilt.

Kim Brackett said...

It's a beautiful quilt and such a special gift. Thanks so much for sharing!

Drucilla's Stitches said...

Precious! I have one very similar that my grandmother made me and it's a treasure....one of the inspirations that led me to quilting!
Thanks for sharing!

Heather said...

Hi Deborah, Thanks for visiting and viewing my crazy quilt. Love your wedding quilt. There is something about a traditional pattern for a wedding quilt that is so appropriate. Thanks for sharing yours with us.

Carol said...

Definitely a quilt to treasure. I don't have a quilting history on my side of the family but I cherish all the hand made items that they did make.

mathea said...

That's a beautiful family treasure!

Karena said...

Beautiful and heartfelt work of art to treaure always!

Wildflowerhouse said...

What a treasure! Rust spots and all.It just shows all the love and care. You are so lucky to have it(STILL RAINING HERE :-( ! )

Miri said...

What a wonderful family heirloom! Lovely!

Michelle said...

Such a beautiful heirloom quilt! Grandmother's Flower Garden is such a classic. I know we always worry about wearing out such a beautiful quilt, but yours is well-loved, and that was quilts are for. Do what you need to to keep using it, but never feel bad that it shows the wear of your love.

ParisMaddy said...

What a lovely, lovely quilt associated with the past and being saved for the future. It's awesome.

Angie Padilla said...

What a treasure! It truly is special to have something handed down over the generations!

Busy Little Quilter said...

It's beautiful! Thank you for sharing the quilt and the beautiful story. I found an antique Grandmother's Flower Garden for $60. I have it on my dining room table (that we never eat on).

Molly said...

What an heirloom! I bet it's extra cozy with all that love!

Marjorie said...

I love that you use and love this daily rather than tucking it away in a closet never to be seen.

Denise said...

I love Grandmother's Flower Garden quilts! Yours is beautiful!

Marit said...

What a beautiful gift, a treasured piece of family heirloom. Thank you for sharing it!

Sandra said...

This must be very precious to you, sleeping under a quilt made by your grand mother and great-grandmother!!!

Catherine said...

What a very special quilt this is with so much family history in it! Great that you're using it too. There seems to be lots of reproduction fabrics out there now so your sure to find something that matches it.

The Calico Cat said...

Lovely quilt. In the first blogger's quilt festival, I shared a quilt that my great-grandmother made that my grandmother gave to me.

Suzanne Kistler said...

What a treasure!!

Rose said...

Love this story...I hope you find fabrics to repair it with. This would be something I would want to last a lifetime.

Roslyn said...

Love GM Garden quilts, such a lot of work all that hand piecing. And I love vintage too!
SO lovely to see you treasure your quilting heritage.

Minka said...

Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting on my quilt. This quilt is wonderful! You are so lucky to have a quilt that connects you with two other generations. What a wonderful wedding gift. The vintage fabric idea sounds great. Contemporary fabrics could stretch the project into the new century. Whatever you do, it will keep you liked to your grandma and greatgrandma.

Yvonne Ackerman said...

How special to have a quilt made by your grandmother and great grandmother.

Shawn said...

What a wonderful heirloom quilt and a great traditional pattern,I love Grandmothers garden. When ever I am under one the quilts my Mom made I feel she is giving me a sweet hug!

Roslyn said...

Love GM Garden quilts, such a lot of work all that hand piecing. And I love vintage too!
SO lovely to see you treasure your quilting heritage.

Leslie said...

such a beautiful gift!

Sandra said...

Thanks for visiting my blog and for sharing this multigenerational treasure. I love the novelty sombrero guy fabric. You can easily find reproduction fabrics that are quite accurate and also lots of people sell vintage fabric.
Good luck with the repairs.

SewCalGal said...

What an heirloom. Beautiful.

SewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

Denise said...

love your quilt! such a special gift!

Karen said...

What a wonderful heirloom you have. Good luck with the repairs.

Eileen said...

love the old quilt and that your great grandmother and grandmother made it is precious

Anonymous said...

That is a really special quilt, with so many memories attached. Lovely colours too. I hope you will manage to get it repaired.

Coffeebean's Dailies said...

Beautiful! I am working on one right now myself!

Martha Wolfe said...

What a wonderful, special quilt. I love the vintage fabrics and the fact that special hands crafted it. A precious memory!