Remembering the past

I read a blog post the other day at Retro-Fabulous talking about discovering the quilters in our family. It brought back my first memories of quilt making. My Grandmother who lived in Jacobus, PA made me a quilt when I was 3 years old about 1972. It was not made with all 100% cotton material but from mostly polyester blends. (shown with back folded to front)

Don't you just love those 60's/70's fabrics? I love this quilt because it is heavy, warm and I like to snuggle with it on vacation or camping. What is neat is where my Grandma got the fabrics. My Grandfather was a buyer for Parr's Department Store in York, PA. He traveled ironically to places like Winston-Salem(near where I live now) and brought back all of the fabric sample cards. If you don't know what a sample card is check these out.

She made all of her quilts using fabric from these sample cards. She would cut up sheets for sashing on later quilts where she used the plaid fabrics to applique cats and dogs on white backgrounds. I would post a picture but with the reno I cant get to the last of her blocks I have tucked away. Later when I was ten or eleven she made me another quilt using all of the plaid shirt material cards.

I also still use this quilt today and usually have it under my comforter in the winter. One other experience that I remember happened when I was about 9 or 10. My great aunt Mildred had asked my Mom and her siblings(she is one of six) to come to her apartment in Jacobus, PA . I remember in her second bedroom she had quilts in very traditional patterns spread out on the bed. My mother got to choose one to keep as did her siblings.

Well I have to get back to work on cleaning out and organizing the craft/quilt studio.

Keep dreaming...

:o)Colleen