I was explaining to my mother recently, that the birds I drew up for the embroidery pattern
"Birds of Paradise" ( click here) , ( quilt from yesterday's post) was inspired by the dresser
scarf we had on the farm, made by my grandmother.
I remembered, quite vividly, inspecting it as a child.
Looking at the colors and the amazing needle work, in envy.
I found as a child I did not have the patience to actually do it myself,
but I was always envious of Grandma's work.
I still am looking for the patience!
A week or so later, a BIG box arrived from Mom,
and inside was a whole package of pieces made by my grandmother!
Doilies, hand towels, pillowcases, dresser scarves, and handkerchiefs!
Embroider, crochet, cooking, canning, quilting... The women of our past were so talented.
I feel honored to have these pieces from my Grandmother.
Digging through the box I pulled out this doily, and then I hit me WHY I had been
so stuck on buying this quilt (below) It's funny how your memory plays tricks with you!
I will treasure the Goodies of my Grandmother!
~~~~~
Alas, My Winner's of Pat's Book: Focus on the center!
B Greene said...You two like like you have bunches of fun together :-) Thanks for the chance to win - I have never made a medallion quilt and I need a little push in that direction.- JaneB said...
- I really like that table topper pattern. Your version is really sweet.
CONGRATS!!
Thank you for playing along on the tour!
Do you have family pieces that you treasure?
Oh V, how wonderful and incredibly special to have such beautiful pieces made by your Grandmother. And isn't it great to think that perhaps one day we will have granddaughters who love our stitch work just as much. I adore those peacocks, brilliant colour and design. xo
ReplyDeleteFor not having seen much embroidery work, i'm always a little awe struck when I see something jammed packed full of stitches... I have so much to learn!
ReplyDelete;-)
I think that is why I LOVE quilting so much. I know my QUILTS will be around way longer than I am... and I hope that when My quilts end up in antique stores, that some other woman will come along and bring it home to love too. ;-)
As a girl, I loved looking at the box of my great-grandmother's broaches and lapel pins (they were the only jewelry she would wear). One year for Christmas, I think, my grandmother gave me a little white box. Inside was a lovely gold lapel pin in the shape of a rose with the petals painted red and the single leaf green. I burst into tears! Reading about your box makes me tear up and remember that feeling of love, gratitude, and remembrance of a great lady who is no longer with us. I wish I had had the patience to learn how to tat from her before she left.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful inspitation to learn more.
ReplyDeleteLove that sunflower quilt....and the fact that it looks just like the doily.
Lucky girl to have these treasures from you past.
ReplyDeleteWow - I am so excited that I won a copy of Pat's book!!!! Thanks so much for the great review and the chance to win.
ReplyDeleteI love the treasures you received from your grandmother via your mom. I hope there will be someone in my family that will treasure some of the things that I have made long into the future!
Good morning girlie!! I have some treasures from my grandma, and my aunt whom I've never met. She died of TB when she was 24 years old. Grandma always told me that that particular aunt used to write songs, but she didn't have any copies. I finally found some song books on the internet! I'm loving that sunflower doily!!
ReplyDeleteYou are one lucky gal! Those stitches from your grandmother hold her love for all of you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful box of treasures. I wish I could have gotten some of my grandmother's work, she was a rug hooker, had a ceramic shop and avid sewer and quilter.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
How sweet of your mom to send you all those beautiful treasures! I have mostly needlepoint pillows from my family. I do like the idea of passing my quilts down too, love thinking of someone else snuggling under them. ox
ReplyDeleteOH, what lovely treasures your mother sent! I, too, have treasures from my mother, grandmother, great grandma and aunts. Sometimes, I just like to get them out and look at them and wonder what they were thinking as they stitched. Oh, if those treasures could talk! Congrats to the book winners!
ReplyDeleteOh wow!
ReplyDeleteI know you will treasure these pieces and so will Miss B.
Nice to have some family pieces, I only have one and my great Aunt made it sadly I never met her.
Happy Sewing
PRICELESS! i love embroidery work. your treasure box from your mom is wonderful, who needs chocolate? i have many quilts and embroidery work from my mom. she made a yoyo bedspread (1937) that swallows my king bed!! never could figure how they had time to do all the handwork, guess no tv or computer frees up a lot of time.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, those are truly treasures!!!!!I have two of four quilts that belonged to my grandmother and her sisters. I did have all four, but I passed two onto my nieces. I don't know who made them. Everyone has been gone for over 20 years.
ReplyDeleteThe handwork of the quilting was amazing. And the feedsack fabrics just make me smile. And trust me, those are probably real feedsack fabrics. That's what makes these a treasure!
What struck me was that my dad wanted to sell them in an estate sale. I put the kibosh on that immediately and claimed them as my own.
Little did I know that years later I would become a quilter!
WOW...you are SO blessed to have those pieces, made by someone you love. How wonderful, also, that you love and appreciate them. I really never knew my grandmothers, nor did they leave such treasures, but I have always "rescued" pieces such as yours when I've found them in thrift stores...like a little one person rescue mission to honor the work of our foremothers. Your grandmother must have been an amazing woman!
ReplyDeleteNeither grandmother was in to handwork although I have two of my great-grandmother's quilts that I treasure. I also have her treadle machine. I do have some beautiful gloves of another grandmother. It was a different time.
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria, I's read your blog for quite a while and never commented before but yourpost today really resonated with me. I have my mother-in-law's cedar chest filled with her wedding trousseau. Neither of my sister's-in-law wanted it. (I can't understand that but it's their loss.) The chest is filled with had work from nuns in Sicily. Embroidery, cutwork, knitting and crochet. Beautiful top sheets, pillowcases, table scarves, and night gowns. Including a bolt of linen still with the pinned price tag from somewhere in Sicily. I love opening the chest and going through those linens.
ReplyDeleteI beautiful reminder of "women's" work.
Ah, yes, I have several treasured family heirlooms...even some lace made by my mom's mom who died too young...yet still lives on in her handwork!
ReplyDeleteYour grandmother's handwork is beautiful! I especially love the peacock. And that quilt looks real familiar. Wasn't there something else under the big sunflower centers?
ReplyDeletehow incredible!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful box of treasure you have there. Mums and Grandmas certainly were very capable clever ladies. I am sure they would be pleased to know you are carrying on the tradition by doing your own special quilting and charity pieces.I continue to be impressed with the number and variety of quilts your group donates. We try to do the same but on a much smaller scale.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work!
Ali in New Zealand.
I love items like those and yours are real treasures! I use dresser scarves because they are so lovely and don't mind hunting in antique stores and thrift shops.
ReplyDeleteI guess my family treasures would be paintings by various members of my family, but mostly my grandmother.
How thoughtful of your Mother to send this box of handiwork items made by your grandmother. Yes the mind doesn't forget although we do some times!
ReplyDeleteI feel so lucky to be a winner of Pat Sloan's book! Your grandmother's needlework is so amazing. My grandmother, Helen and her sister, Clara were raised in an orphanage after their mother died. They both were experts with a needle and crochet hook. I have lots of pillow cases that they embroidered. They also made lace for the edges. They make me feel connected to them.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great gift!
ReplyDeleteTo cut up or not to cut up, that is the question.
(google "cutting our Grandmother's saris" to find a lovely This I Believe piece)
I have lots of goodies from my grandmother, each of them a treasure . . . and an inspiration. You are lucky to have received such a bundle! I love looking at everything you've been up to. Can't wait to see you next week!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness - what a wonderful package to receive!
ReplyDelete