A Family Heirloom

Tonight as I was sewing and admiring fabric, my mind drifted to a handcrafted piece of history that I love.

This quilt belonged to my great grandfather when he was a baby, born in 1903. His mother used scraps of satin, taffeta, and velvet from dresses to create each hand sewn block. Back then, quilting was not a hobby like it is today. Quilts were made out of necessity and were not a "showcase" item.










As can be seen in these photos, a lot of care and love went into making this quilt. One square boasts an embroidered design, surrounded by otherwise plain blocks. The hand stitching is very precise, which is proven in the fact that this quilt is still in one piece after more than a century, and it has survived countless moves as well as years of use by who knows how many children.

Although I was very young and have few memories of my great grandfather while he was alive, this is a family heirloom that I love to admire and imagine the history that could be told in every stitch.