Yes, the title does deserve an exclamation point. I love this lady.
I swear, I have a neck and chin. The picture is lying. This is me. This is my Grandma.
We just got back from spending a week at her home in Utah. My family, and I do mean my WHOLE family, all ran up to spend some time with Grandma. (Alas, my brother couldn’t make it. Also, my Brother in Law was in Tanzania which made it a little tough to be there too.) I have 4 siblings and they all have families. My baby sister lives in Utah already, so that was easy for her to be there. All of us non Utards stayed with Grandma. Each night, there were cousins all over the floor in every room. To my delight, many if not most of them were covered in quilts I had made for them. It was a lovely feeling walking over sleeping bodies covered in my quilts. I kept saying I was going to round all of them up and snap a picture of them together. But we were busy loving family and that didn’t happen. Also, some of them were from when the cousins were born and at this point are so teeny and threadbare that it was kind of funny. I realized I have a lot more quilts that need to be made and gifted;) I think the oldest one was gifted to my niece and she was born in 1997. Another old one was gifted to my nephew when he was born. He was born in 1998. So yah, that was cool.
My favorite quilt there was made by my Grandma a zillion years ago. It was a whole cloth quilt. No binding, and entirely hand stitched. Teeny stitches in a pretty pattern. And let me assure you, the stitches were perfect. They were probably 8 or 9 stitches to an inch. So evenly spaced. And the quilt has been so loved for years and years. The colors have faded and there is a place where it looks like someone took a bite out of it;) I was just so delighted to see and use this quilt.
I do make quilts to be used and loved.
My Grandma can make or do anything. Along with being a wonderful seamstress, she painted beautifully. My grandpa made the frame from some old wood from the family barn.
And while I am going on about my talented family, I’ll share this picture too. My Dad is an amazing photographer. He also can draw anything. These three kids were my two older siblings and I all drawn in pencil by my Dad!
Aaah, to absorb some family time and be able to reflect on where I got my talents from. It was a great week.
Wow! You really do have a talented family. How fun to see the different things that they have done along with what I know of your quilting.
ReplyDeleteAww, a sea of kids and quilts! I wish you did have a picture!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little we all piled into Grandmom and Grandpop's (little!) house, too. They had 7 kids so there were oodles of grandkids, one sleeping bag lined up next to another. The prized spot was the laundry room, because there was only space for one person. The only private room in the house. Thanks for bringing back that memory!
And I can see that you are carrying on your family tradition of artistry! How lucky you are.
What a meaningful visit together. I am often wistful about grandmothers because both of mine lived so far away and died when I was young, so I never learned any crafts from them, although one was an avid quilter and the other a potter. I love that everyone still has their quilts you made and has loved them so much. That is affirmation that quiltmaking is alive and important.
ReplyDeleteSounds fantastic! I also love to see my family using the quilts I've made for them. There is nothing better :)
ReplyDeleteAmanda
How lucky for you to be in such a talented and creative family! I'm glad you got to spend time with your family - grandmas in particular are so special!
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