Tiffany Asay
The name of this quilt is unknown and was made by my great, great grandmother on my mom’s side of our family. After talking with my grandma she also does not know the name of the quilt for sure but she thinks they just called it, “Wedding Quilt.” Although we personally do not know the whole origin and background story of this quilt so I did some research on the meaning of starring diamond hexagon quilts. After doing some research I found out that hexagons in quilting are very timeless and well known in the quilting world. When hexagons are used in quilting, in the end result when the quilt is finished they are very aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The symbolic meaning of a star comes from the morning star. Before dawn the morning star is the last and brightest star in the eastern horizon. The star was a representation of when people come to earth and connects with the living and those who have passed on from this earth. My grandma also told me she did not know an exact name of the design of the quilt but that it is an elaborate star pattern quilt.
When looking at this quilt a principle that is used throughout it is the use of hexagons, and diamond shapes pieces that are used around the hexagon to create stars. For the majority of the quilt the colors are very light. They create a bright and happy feeling. The quilt is a very light weight quilt and thin. An element in this quilt that is well displayed throughout the quilt is the element of line. The shapes that were used in this quilt all have straight lines on them. There are no examples of curved lines in it.
The fiber content that was used for this quilt is cotton which is a natural fiber. Because my great, great grandmother has already passed on from this life I am not sure what type of batting she used for it. Based off of my observations of the quilt I would guess that she used a cotton quilt batting because the quilt is soft, light, and natural. The size of the quilt is 6’ x 6’. The category of this quilt is a pieced quilt.
This quilt was made in 1944 when my great grandma got married in San Diego during the war. My great great grandmother made the quilt for her wedding. Her name was LuVernia Virginia Hards. She made it for my great grandmother and her name was Doris Fisher Gates. Like I have already mentioned before it was made for Doris when she got married in 1944. This was important to the owner because she put a lot of hard work and time into the quilt and she made it for such a special event in Doris’ life. LuVernia went by the name “Nanna.” That is what all of her family knew her by. She made this quilt out of scraps. She quilted and pieced the whole quilt by hand. By looking at the quilt you can tell it has been very well used. You can tell it has been washed many times and I even found some pen ink on it. It is really interesting to look at the quilt and to just think that it was all quilted by hand and all of the pieces in it were also cut by hand! It is a beautiful quilt and has so much meaning and history to it that I would have never known if I had not of done this paper on it.
When looking at this quilt a principle that is used throughout it is the use of hexagons, and diamond shapes pieces that are used around the hexagon to create stars. For the majority of the quilt the colors are very light. They create a bright and happy feeling. The quilt is a very light weight quilt and thin. An element in this quilt that is well displayed throughout the quilt is the element of line. The shapes that were used in this quilt all have straight lines on them. There are no examples of curved lines in it.
The fiber content that was used for this quilt is cotton which is a natural fiber. Because my great, great grandmother has already passed on from this life I am not sure what type of batting she used for it. Based off of my observations of the quilt I would guess that she used a cotton quilt batting because the quilt is soft, light, and natural. The size of the quilt is 6’ x 6’. The category of this quilt is a pieced quilt.
This quilt was made in 1944 when my great grandma got married in San Diego during the war. My great great grandmother made the quilt for her wedding. Her name was LuVernia Virginia Hards. She made it for my great grandmother and her name was Doris Fisher Gates. Like I have already mentioned before it was made for Doris when she got married in 1944. This was important to the owner because she put a lot of hard work and time into the quilt and she made it for such a special event in Doris’ life. LuVernia went by the name “Nanna.” That is what all of her family knew her by. She made this quilt out of scraps. She quilted and pieced the whole quilt by hand. By looking at the quilt you can tell it has been very well used. You can tell it has been washed many times and I even found some pen ink on it. It is really interesting to look at the quilt and to just think that it was all quilted by hand and all of the pieces in it were also cut by hand! It is a beautiful quilt and has so much meaning and history to it that I would have never known if I had not of done this paper on it.
Aaryn Atkison
The quilt I chose to show is an unfinished quilt my Grandma, Dot Atkinson started back in 1980. Each quilt block is embroidered with one of the fifty states in the United States of America. She started the quilt so she could work on it at her children’s sports games. The fabric is white cotton and each one has the pattern inked on the fabric. The pattern consists of the state its capital marked with an X, the number marking its order of statehood, the state bird, the state’s name and the state flower. The outline of the states alternate between red and blue. The state birds and flowers on each one are by far my favorite part. Each one is different and Unique. My grandma took the time to research them, so they are accurate in color and texture to the real animals and flowers. New York is probably my favorite block, but each one is beautiful in its own way.
So far, my grandma has not completed all of the states. She has 37 of the 50 states completely done, but she hasn’t worked on the rest for quite some time. This beautiful quilt might never be finished to the dismay of my dad. He is the one who spoke for this quilt. He’s loved it since it was started in 1980. My dad was only ten years old.
I chose this in part because I have a very close relationship to my grandma. We are like the same person born 60 years apart. I even have the nickname of “little Dot” because of our resemblance in looks, personality, and hobbies. I hope I’m going to be able to see this quilt finished by my grandma! She is one amazing lady!
Ashlyn Birchell
Fishing for the Good Times and the Bad
“Fishy Fishy in a brooke, Daddy caught it with a hook, Mommy fried it in a pan, Caleb ate it like a man.” These are the words circling around my little brother Caleb’s bedroom. On his double-sized bed is a fishing quilt that my Great Grandma Harrison made for my dad when he was five. It’s orange-yellow with little fishermen all around it, made from clothing scraps from my dad’s childhood. The story of this quilt is more than some fabric made into some cute fishermen. This quilt is a reminder to me of my amazing family heritage: from the very miracle that my great grandma was even alive, to preserving my dad’s own childhood, to the memories I have of fishing with my dad in the mountains, to the value of hard work and service instilled in me.
It is a miracle that my Great Grandma, Elizabeth Harrison, even lived. It was a chill early morning in September 1931, and she thought she would do some laundry. The washing machine was old, and had a gasoline motor. She brought in some gasoline and set it in some hot water on the stove to warm it up. Though she had a feeling to take the gasoline off the stove, she pushed the feeling away. Looking up from the stove, she saw Barbara, her daughter, enter the kitchen, taking a seat next to herself. That was when the gasoline exploded.
Her clothes ignited, she yelled “Barbara, get out of here quick!”Then she ran out of the room, rolling around in a quilt to smother the flames.
They were rushed to the hospital, and despite doing all they could, Barbara died. Grandma Harrison later recalled, “We come near losing the house and everything because it caught fire, but it wouldn’t have been half as bad to have lost the house and everything as it was to have lost her.” The doctors thought Grandma Harrison would only live for another three days. After she lived passed that, she was told she would never walk again, and certainly never have any more kids.
Gradually, after months in the hospital, she was allowed to go home. There she was determined to learn out how to walk. Starting by pushing a chair in front of her for balance, and walking around the house with others help. Then she was able to use crutches. After a long while she didn’t even need help. Astonishingly, many years later she gave birth to six more children, my Grandma Birchell being one of them. I, along with my dad, his seven other siblings, my cousins, and my siblings are a product of this miracle as well.
Since my grandma is the youngest of 14 children, by the time my dad was born, Grandma Harrison was getting pretty old and sick. She wanted her grandchildren to have something from her, so she made each of them a quilt. My dad’s quilt, a variation of Sunbonnet Sue, with fishermen, was very appropriate for him. Not only does it have sentimental value to remind him of his grandma, but it also is a tribute to his childhood. Grandma Harrison died in 1980, so I have never had a chance to meet her, I can see the love she had for her children in each of the stitches of the quilt. She once said, “I don’t know what life would be like if we didn’t do something once in a while for somebody else.” Despite her declining eyesight, she still spent effort in every little detail. She hand quilted the bulk of it, and when some details got too hard to hand-applique on, she painted them on instead. Even when it was hard for her, she still wanted to serve those she loved and worked her hardest to do so.
My dad remembers when he visited his grandma, she would take all of the grandkids to the corner store and let them pick out a piece of candy. My dad’s choice? Swedish Fish. Though it is a yummy candy, he also just loved fish! Many times in the summer his grandpa would take he and his cousins fishing together. He has turned that love of fishing into a career, working for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
I have a flood of memories going fishing on the mountain with my dad too! Every summer during the fish spawning season we get to help with his work. The fish splash their way up the stream into a trap. From there my dad scoops them up, takes their weight and height (which I write down), then sorts it according to whether it’s male or female, and how ready the eggs are. It is one of my favorite times of year.
The quilt from my dad’s childhood now sits on the bed of my little brother, aka “Little Boy Blue”. The quilt has many colorful fishermen, but one particular has an all blue outfit. Caleb decided that one was made just for him because it was the “Little Boy Blue”. Growing up around the blanket means more than looking and playing on it, it reflects the other childhood memories we have going on the mountains fishing. When Caleb was one, he somehow got a hold of a raw fish and stuck it in his mouth! My two sisters and I thought this was quite hilarious. Caleb remembers going on many fishing trips with dad, wondering if he was lost until they suddenly would make it to a lake and then he knew he was alright. My childhood has summers filled with these memories. The quilt is a small symbol of that.
The quilt that my great grandma made my dad is a wonderful memorial of her life, but is also a tremendous tribute to my dad’s and my own childhood. Most importantly this quilt is a reminder to keep a loving, service-minded heart despite the trials we go through. She once said, “These are some of the things that is very hard to take, but we still have to go on and try to make things pleasant for people around us and do what we can to help other people.” This is the wonderful family legacy I get to follow.
Hannah Brown
The first thing that came to my mind when I thought of an heirloom quilt was every single quilt that my grandma, Ann Dalton, has made. There are so many quilts I can’t even count them. There was one type of quilt that she makes that did stay in my mind. My family is really religious and because of that getting married in the temple is a very important and special thing to us. Because of that importance, my grandma makes a “Temple Quilt” for every family member that gets married in the temple. These quilts are very different from all the other hundreds of quilts that she had made.
My grandma has a women that makes patterns with the temples on it for her. Before that she needs in a heads up for when the couple is getting married so she will have time to complete the quilt. The couple tells her what temple they have decided to get married in, and then she tells the woman who makes the patterns. Once the pattern is drawn and sent to my grandma she traces it onto the quilt with a pencil. From there she starts the process of hand stitching the entire thing. Because of this pattern the entire quilt is just one piece of fabric that is quilted. I think that is one of the many reasons why these quilts are so important. There is so much work put into them that shows us how much she cares for each one of us.
The quilts are made out of tricot fabric with regular batting in the middle, all being queen size. The fabric she uses is usually soft pink, maroon or white. One of the design principles that makes the quilt look beautiful is how the focus is on the temple. There are usually flowers around the entire border with lines leading into the center with the temple in the middle. This specific quilt that I showed in class was made for my parents. They got married in the St. George temple in 1993, which is when the quilt was made. She continues to make these “Temple Quilts” for each grandchild that goes to the temple to get married. The latest one being for my brother and sister-in-law, who got married in the Cedar City Temple. Each quilt she makes with each different temple is special in its own way and we owe that to my grandma for making it that way. Years in the future this quilt will probably mean even more than it does right now and I can not wait to have my own “Temple Quilt” made from her.
Morgan Chamberlain
I couldn’t find what the name or origin of design was for to be able to tell you what it is. The quilt is made of cotton I’m pretty sure and it has a kind of fluffy batting in it. The size is about a queen size quilt. It was a pieced quilt and hand quilted also.
It was made in the 1964 for my grandma’s wedding. Her step grandma made it for her, Mary Biddle. She (in the words of my grandmother) was a very mean lady. She wasn’t nice to my great grandma and her siblings. My grandma said that Mary was the one person my Great Grandma was scared of meeting again when she died at the age of 101.
This quilt is important to my grandma because regardless of how mean she was, it was her only grandma on that side and she loved her. I believe that my grandma was one of the only ones who got a quilt from her also so that makes it that much more special.
A little more about Mary Biddle is that she met my great great grandfather while serving a mission. They ended up getting married after Della died, partially because he needed help taking care of his kids. Which may have backfired a little bit because she was very mean to those kids. Della also died on my great grandmothers fifth birthday, so Mary was for the most part, the only mother that she knew.
In my childhood home, there was a quilt on display in the spare bedroom of our house. It wasn't until I was much older that I learned the story behind it. This quilt was created by my great-grandmother, Marie, who I was named after. This quilt was made in the 1960's and was created from scraps that she had from other projects that she had made for her children and grandchildren. The fabric was primarily cotton based, and each piece was hand appliquéd to the quilt block. The batting is a thin cotton, and the quilt itself is extremely thin.
From my understanding, it was a fun project that she made for herself as she was going through some health struggles to hep keep her mind off things. This is a full sized quit so it is a fairly large quilt that took her a large amount of time.
The Sunbonnet Sue design has been around since the 1800's but was made popular in the 1900's in a book by Bertha Corbett Melcher, "The Sunbonnet Babies". Since then is had become a very popularized method of applique quilting, picking up in the 1960's which around the time that the quilt my great-grandmother created this quilt.
This quilt hung in my great-grandmother's living room over the back of a couch for several years, until she passed away in 1980. Then it was put into storage for several years until my parents moved into the house and my mom found it and displayed it. This has never been a cuddle quilt, but more of a "look at this heirloom that great grandma made" type of quilt. I remember looking at it and thinking that it was pretty and wondering how she sewed all of the different pieces together and made it look the way that it did (I had no understanding of hand stitching and appliqué at the time and was fascinated at how this quilt was constructed).
Megan Cox
In my childhood home, there was a quilt on display in the spare bedroom of our house. It wasn't until I was much older that I learned the story behind it. This quilt was created by my great-grandmother, Marie, who I was named after. This quilt was made in the 1960's and was created from scraps that she had from other projects that she had made for her children and grandchildren. The fabric was primarily cotton based, and each piece was hand appliquéd to the quilt block. The batting is a thin cotton, and the quilt itself is extremely thin.
From my understanding, it was a fun project that she made for herself as she was going through some health struggles to hep keep her mind off things. This is a full sized quit so it is a fairly large quilt that took her a large amount of time.
The Sunbonnet Sue design has been around since the 1800's but was made popular in the 1900's in a book by Bertha Corbett Melcher, "The Sunbonnet Babies". Since then is had become a very popularized method of applique quilting, picking up in the 1960's which around the time that the quilt my great-grandmother created this quilt.
This quilt hung in my great-grandmother's living room over the back of a couch for several years, until she passed away in 1980. Then it was put into storage for several years until my parents moved into the house and my mom found it and displayed it. This has never been a cuddle quilt, but more of a "look at this heirloom that great grandma made" type of quilt. I remember looking at it and thinking that it was pretty and wondering how she sewed all of the different pieces together and made it look the way that it did (I had no understanding of hand stitching and appliqué at the time and was fascinated at how this quilt was constructed).
Mo Chamberlain
Heirloom Quilt Paper
I couldn’t find what the name or origin of design was for to be able to tell you what it is.
The quilt is made of cotton I’m pretty sure and it has a kind of fluffy batting in it. The size is
about a queen size quilt. It was a pieced quilt and hand quilted also.
It was made in the 1964 for my grandma’s wedding. Her step grandma made it for her,
Mary Biddle. She (in the words of my grandmother) was a very mean lady. She wasn’t nice to
my great grandma and her siblings. My grandma said that Mary was the one person my Great
Grandma was scared of meeting again when she died at the age of 101.
This quilt is important to my grandma because regardless of how mean she was, it was
her only grandma on that side and she loved her. I believe that my grandma was one of the only
ones who got a quilt from her also so that makes it that much more special.
A little more about Mary Biddle is that she met my great great grandfather while serving
a mission. They ended up getting married after Della died, partially because he needed help
taking care of his kids. Which may have backfired a little bit because she was very mean to
those kids. Della also died on my great grandmothers fifth birthday, so Mary was for the most
part, the only mother that she knew.
Mo Chamberlain
Heirloom Quilt Paper
I couldn’t find what the name or origin of design was for to be able to tell you what it is.
The quilt is made of cotton I’m pretty sure and it has a kind of fluffy batting in it. Thet a queen size quilt. It was a pieced quilt and hand quilted also.
It was made in the 1964 for my grandma’s wedding. Her step grandma made it for her,
Mary Biddle. She (in the words of my grandmother) was a very mean lady. She wasn’t nice to
my great grandma and her siblings. My grandma said that Mary was the one person my Great
Grandma was scared of meeting again when she died at the age of 101.
This quilt is important to my grandma because regardless of how mean she was, it was
her only grandma on that side and she loved her. I believe that my grandma was one of the only
ones who got a quilt from her also so that makes it that much more special.
A little more about Mary Biddle is that she met my great great grandfather while serving
a mission. They ended up getting married after Della died, partially because he needed help
taking care of his kids. Which may have backfired a little bit because she was very mean to
those kids. Della also died on my great grandmothers fifth birthday, so Mary was for the most
part, the only mother that she knew.
Anna Crump
When searching for a quilt, my Mom dug deep in the basement for something that she could remember. l What she found was a twin size, yellow pinwheel quilt made by my Grandmother, Erma Nelson.
Although we don’t believe the quilt was ever named, my mother gave it the name of “Erma’s Pinwheel Quilt,” named after my grandmother who sewed it. The origin of the design is a 35 patch filled with all pinwheels. Each diagonal line of pinwheels has all different fabric, but one same color running through all of the pinwheels in the line, like red, green, purple, and pink. The patches are framed by a light yellow cotton. The quilt is made of cotton on the front and binding, and the back is made of yellow and white flowered flannel. My mom wasn’t sure about the batting, but we think that is made of polyester. It is a 72” by 84” quilt, or about a twin size. It is a pieced quilt, with pinwheel patches. The quilt was made i the early 1960’s by my Grandmother on my mom’s side, Erma Raper. She made the quilt for herself and her family, most likely to go on a bed as a bedspread. My mom had kept this blanket for so long because Erma used remnants of fabric that she had saved to make the pinwheels. While talking to my mom, she said that looking at the patches, she can see some pattens that her mom used to make her clothing.
My Grandma, Erma, was a big sewer. She loved to Kit and Crochet along with sewing. Erma was born in Ogden, but resided most in Kansas, where my Grandpa had grown up and where my Mo was born. She was also a very social person, which is an integral part of the quilt. Erma sewed the top of the quilt herself, and then took it to her local church ward when the ward had a “Quilting Bee.” This event was where the women in the ward would bring their quilts to the church, and they would all help to had stitch the pattern on the quilt while they talked and socialized. Like was stated earlier, this quilt is so interesting because many of the patches are made form scraps of fabric that Erma used to make many of my mom’s clothing.
Christine Hanks
The quilt that I chose to highlight is the one made from my Grandmothers clothing. The name of the quilt is “4G” and this is because of her name (Great, Great, Grandma Golding). She lived to be 101 years old and was with us until January 3, 2016.
This quilt is 46” x 53” and is made from a variety of squares. The square pattern on a quilt was one of the earliest designs and has been used since the 1700’s. There are squares that have a combo of 2 to 4 different shapes using different material.
This quilt was pieced together with fabrics of many kinds. The back is exclusively minky. The front is made from pieces of my grandmothers clothing that range from cottons, knits, polyesters, and velour’s.
It was started in February 2016 by Nichole Matheson who was just 12 years old. She made this quilt entirely by herself with instruction from a nearby neighbor. She chose from many of the pieces of clothing left behind by her great, great grandmother, cut them and sewed them together.
It was designed and created for my mother who took care of her until she passed away in her home on January 3, 2016. This quilt is displayed in the front living room of my mother’s home as a loving memory of her time with her.
My grandmother loved to square dance and several of the squares are from her dresses. She also loved animal prints and had a closet full of these prints. She even had matching shoes and a coat.
It was fun to look at all the prints and remember her wearing each piece of clothing.
Katelyn Hebdon
The quilt I chose for this assignment is a beautifully vibrant yet delicate quilt. I had a really hard time finding a quilt for this project, but I am so glad I got a chance to show this quilt because it gave me the opportunity to learn more about my ancestor who made it.
Because this quilt didn’t have a name the we are aware of, ,y Grandma and I decided to name this quilt “The Geneva Rose Quilt”. This is because the quilt boast a large rose garden pattern and was made by my Grandmother Great, Geneva Jackson. Geneva made this quilt in 1073 for her daughter, my Grandma, Erma Hebdon. It was completely hand stitched on to two shades of pink; Blush and Brilliant. The colors of the fabric aren’t the only thing that scream the seventies. The fabric is a light, wrinkle-free, polyester. This cool but cozy fabric plus it fitting a queen size bed makes it the perfect quilt to sleep with.
Geneva Walters grew up being a second mother to her siblings. Being the oldest daughter, she was always taking care of sick babies and any else who happened to be sick, and doing the housework. The story goes that Genea believed that as soon as she married, “all her troubles would be gone”. So at the tender age of sixten, she became the bride of Leslie Jackson and began having children of her own. I’m sure the sentiment that all her problems would be gone after marriage very soon became obsolete. She spent the rest of her life being a mother.
Geneva was around sixty years old when she made this quilt for her daughter, Erma. By that time, her children had grown and she finally had time to spend on creative outlets. Grandma Jackson was a perfectionist, and even though this was only the second quilt she had ever made, you would have never known it. After she started quilting, she never stopped. She quilted for the rest of her life and made beautiful creaitons. It was at this point in her life the she discovered and developed a love for painting. I have always admired the way she captured the simple beauty of the earth, inspired by the little corner of the world she lived in. I am in awe of all the tings she accomplished in her life and I am proud to be her Granddaughter Great.
Meg Hulme
This is a jean quilt made by my grandmother and my aunt. It’s made of jeans with a fleece backing lovingly named: The Picnic Blanket. They made it about 20 years ago so some of my favorite memories are on this blanket. About 10 years ago my family stole the blanket for ourselves (no one remembers why) but it continued to be used at family events, specifically outdoor ones. Just last semester I stole the quilt for myself, and while it hasn’t been used outdoors yet it has been used during a “picnic” on my apartments green shag carpet.
When this was my grandmother’s quilt we used it during fourth of july parties My grandparent’s ward do a fourth of july party every year, ever since my mother was young, so it’s something that all of us enjoy going to. My mother likes to go to visit old friends. My siblings love the giant waterslide, and I enjoy reading on The Picnic Blanket and playing with my youngest cousins. It is also used during “cousins camp: a sleepover of sorts that my grandparents do to give the parents a break. All the cousins over 8 get to come to grandma’s house for a couple days, hiking, swimming, and of course eating picnics on this blanket. It may not be my grandmother’s anymore, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come to her house every time we have a party.
It’s about a queen size, and it’s pieced. It is also a tie quilt, and it was made with several worn out and outgrown jeans my grandmother had. My grandmother is an amazing woman with very basic quilting knowledge, but that doesn’t stop her from making baby quilts for every one of her twenty plus grandchildren as well as a few picnic blankets. She is an amazing embroiderer and has an amazing love of puzzles.
London Imlay
The name of this quilt is Trapezoid Patchwork and it truly is one of a kind. This quilt has solids and prints throughout it. It is made out of cotton, was pieced, and is the size of a full bed. This quilt was made in 1988 by Geraldine Randall, my great grandmother. She made it for my mom, Jonnie Imlay for her graduation gift.
This quilt is so important to my mom because her grandmother made it for her. All of the fabric was pieced from my mom’s old clothes as a child, her sister’s old clothes, and her grandmother’s old clothes. Each trapezoid block is a different fabric from one of their old clothing. It is a one of a kind quilt and very unique. Another special part of the quilt is in the bottom right corner. My great grandmother sewed my mom’s name in the corner and the year she made it. That is one of my mom’s favorite part about the quilt.
She had actually finished it seven years before my mom graduated. Geraldine was an amazing quilter and inspired my mom to sew her first quilt when she was thirteen. This love of quilting has been passed from my great grandma, to my grandma, to my mom, and to me. Geraldine sewed hundreds of quilts in her life time and often used clothes for the material. She was very thrifty and used what she had available. She had 11 kids and 24 grandchildren. She made quilts for all graduating senior girls and has carried that tradition down to us. My grandma, mother, aunts, and I are always quilting senior quilts and it is so much fun. We have made so many quilts and memories over the years and I hope to someday carry my legacy on through some of my creations.
Katie Klienman
My story starts with the book The Wind Walkerit is about a Native American family that is on a journey along the way the grandfather falls ill and request to be left behind. The family continues without him and he is left for dead, but death does not take him. The story follows the grandfather’s struggle to survive, as he is blind, deaf and very weak, he must continue the journey alone to find his family. The native Americans highly respected their elders and to show that, they gave them buffalo pelts and the men wore them around like robes. I know this all sounds way off topic but my grandpa and his brother in-law both read and watched the movie and were really intrigued and inspired by the idea of the buffalo robe being a badge of honor and pride to prove their worth as being the providers for their family.
My grandma her mother and sister decided they were going to start their own version of the tradition of making their men buffalo robes. They wanted to show their appreciation to the men in the family for all they did. They saw what the buffalo robes represented and saw the same values in their men that the buffalo robes showed. They symbolized the men being hard workers and to be competent providers for their families, being strong to hold their family’s together, and making a firm foundation for their families to flourish. To be a brave leader, a good husband and father.
Four years ago, my grandma passed away from cancer, she fought strong and hard for almost three years before it took her, she was a great mother and grandmother. She was the one who taught me to sew before she passed, and she gave me her sewing machine.
I feel honored to have been taught to use the sewing machine by her, and I am pleased to use her machine as I work on sewing projects. This past Christmas my mom, Aunt Heather, and I sewed buffalo robes for the men in our family, and we made patchwork quilts for the daughters of my grandma made from her clothes. We ceremoniously wrapped the men in their buffalo robes and the sisters in their quilts. It was very meaningful and full of the spirit of our heritage and love for family.
I was proud to be a part of this project, and the time we spent sewing together before Christmas was fun and full of meaningful conversation. When the blankets were done, we felt so happy and proud to carry on a tradition rich with love and respect for fathers and mothers. In today’s society, sometimes I feel men and fathers get too much negative attention from media, but there are good dad’s out there, and they should be celebrated and appreciated.
Keeping traditions that are so meaningful and positive is something I will continue when I become a mother and have a family of my own. Every time I sew I think of the people I love and those that came before me and loved me enough to carry on traditions and memories that are so beloved.
Items such as quilts and fabrics associated with traditions last a long time, and there is something magical about wrapping up in a blanket that grandma once snuggled in. Connection and loving relationships are what gives life meaning. I am blessed to be connected to a family that is full of love. The skills of sewing have enriched my life and I am proud to create my own quilts and share them with love. Like the tightly woven textiles in fabric, so too is family.
Gillian Mitchell
So, for my heirloom quilt presentation I chose the blanket that my grandmother made for me when I was a baby. It’s just a one piece quilt with the little Beatrix Potter characters for the pattern on the cotton of the front and a pale-ish pink for the back with a very thin batt in between the layers. It’s about 4 feet by 5 feet with delicate hand stitching & binding all around it.
Well, you can’t really tell now that there was delicate stitches because it’s been so used and worn over the years of my life. I remember back in the day when I would take that blanket everywhere with me; I’d go outside around the house with it and my Cinderella pillow, and would purposely let our cat take naps in the sun on it and I’d take it with me to jump on our trampoline and everywhere else- we went on countless adventures together. I hope that someday, now that I’ve taken this Quiltmaking class, I can restore or repair my old friend and let it pass to someone special to cherish the memories. It may not be much, but I sure do love that blanket!
My grandma, Donna Morrill, has made baby quilts for all of her grandchildren and now that my brother and his wife have had kids, she’s made one for each of them, too. I’ve just always known my grandmother to be helping hem, fix, or make something for someone else, she’s just that kind of person. And now that I’ve grown older, I appreciate all that she’s done for me so very much and I can see that it still must have taken a bit of time for her to make that blanket for me all those years ago. She was even called to make Baptism quilts for the newly baptized kids in her ward in Twin Falls, Idaho for awhile. She’s really quite an amazing and such a calm lady, and one day I hope I can be even a little bit like her.
Lastly, I really enjoyed doing this assignment and can’t wait to do more with quilting!
Jessica Ralphs
I really enjoyed this assignment because I had no idea that my mom had heirloom quilts. The quilt that I am choosing to share is class is very special to me and my mom because it was hand made by my great grandmother Jennie Mae. I never met my great grandmother because she died long before I was born and before my mom was married. My mother is one of two granddaughters that Jennie Mae had, and she anticipated making a quilt for my mom for when she got married. Grandma Jennie Mae had no idea that she would not live to see the day that my mother was married. She died of a massive heart attack while talking on the phone with my grandfather, her son, in 1984. She was dead before she fell to the ground.
My mother was married in 1985 so that quilt that Jennie Mae made for her wedding means a lot to her. In fact, it means so much to her that she has keep it in a hope chest for all of my life, so I had no idea about it until this assignment. When I asked her if I could bring it to school, she was very hesitant, but caved in and then threatened me that if I were to get it anything on it, she would beat me. It is an empty threat, but it was made to get the point across.
Because I never knew my great grandmother this quilt also means a lot to me. I have heard many stories about my grandma Jennie Mae. She was a farmer’s wife who worked hard her whole wife. She eloped with my great grandpa Burt when she was around 18 years old. She loved to sing and would even sing in the Spanish Fork Opera that was around during the great depression. Knowing this things about Jennie Mae means a lot to me and now so does her quilt.
Jennifer Richards
This quilt was named “Jacob’s Ladder” by its maker, Deon Richards. However, it does not use the traditional Jacob’s Ladder block pattern. It was likely named because of its ladder-like appearance from the color patterns. The block used in the quilt is the fence rail, or roman square. They are set on pointe, and they give the quilt a woven look.
The Fence Post block was first named by Edna Marie Dunn in the Kansas City Star in 1932. This block that was also called Interlocked Squares was also known as the Spirit of St Louis in 1934, Four Part Strip Block in 1948, and Roman Square in 1974. The moniker of Fence Post was first used in 1973.
This block pattern is great for use in a scrappy quilt. Many times, like in this quilt, it was found in a red, white, and blue pattern, which showcases its U.S. origins. The contrasting colors also helped when it was used a to teach children how to piece a quilt. They could more easily see how to assemble the blocks and the quilt.
Made in 2016 as a wedding present for Braden and Jennifer Richards, Deon (Merkley) Richards combined two quilts made in the early 2000s to make a queen-sized quilt. It uses cotton fabrics, with a medium-thin batting. It is edge-to-edge and custom quilted. Deon used an old design of her mother’s when making this quilt.
Now in her 80s, Deon Richards gives all of her grandchildren a quilt for their wedding. She lets them choose a bigger quilt for bedding, or a smaller decorative quilt. After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Deon Richards has made 100 quilts for that purpose in approximately 35 years. While her Parkinson’s prevents her from making quilts on her own now, she still works on designing new quilts.
Brynlee Savage
There is no name for the quilt that I chose, however since it is mine, I suppose I could choose my own name for the quilt. I think that I would call the quilt either Breezy Blues or Cool Breeze because of the quilt design. The quilt is made up of pinwheel blocks that are made up of blues and greens. The pinwheel block was developed somewhere around the year of 1795 and has continued to be a popular block through the years. The pinwheels are arranged randomly, but the colors are complementary of each other so the arrangement doesn’t really change anything. There is a use of lighter and darker colors that helps to contrast what is going on. The quilt is made up of cottons because it was made fairly recently, within the past few years, and the batting is of a medium content most likely polyester based.
I can’t remember if the quilt is a queen or a full, but all I know is that it is way too big for my twin bed. I’m currently using it on my bed, obviously, because if I didn’t then it would get put away somewhere safe and never see the light of day. It’s a rather important quilt to me because it is my grandma who made it. My grandmother is Louise Torgersen, and she has adored quilting since she has learned how to sew. Over the years she has made over 100 quilts in her life, that doesn’t count the many wall hangings and table runners she has made which would put the count roughly over 250. My grandma was diagnosed with macular degeneration, meaning she is slowly going blind. This motivated her to start making quilts for all of her grandchildren when they got married. I, as well as my sister, got to choose ours early because my grandma realized that it may be awhile before we got married. It is important for me because of the reason for why it was made. My grandma loves to quilt and the fact that she will eventually not be able to see at all has made her very emotional. She has a hard time seeing where to put the blocks and how to sew them and it is all just very sad.
The quilt was quilted on a long arm machine which is owned by my grandma and she is happy to have it. It’s actually kind of fun to look at because there are places where the pieces were too small and didn’t quite get caught in the stitching and I enjoy finding them and figuring out ways to fix them. It makes it feel more like it is mine because I contributed to it.
Gabrielle Segura
The name of my quilt is called Soccer Memories Quilt. The origin of it’s design is just the internet. The fiber content of the fabrics is mostly cotton. However some of my shirts are dri-fit so it must’ve been extremely difficult to sew on those. The size is a little bit narrower than a twin size quilt because there is no sashing or borders on it. It is a pieced quilt. It was made in August of this yer after I had moved down to college. Some principles of design are that it has a good mix of light and darks and they are spread out throughout the quilt. Also the green of the yarn and the blue of most of the shirts represents my school colors.
My sister Sam made it for me. It was made as a surprise to me because I had originally planned to make it myself and had all of my t-shirts ready, but I never got to start it before I moved away. My family came to visit me one day and she brought it to me and it was such a surprise and I was so grateful that she put the time and effort into making it for me.
Some facts about her are the she is 23 years old and that is the second quilt she made, she made one just like it with her track t-shirts from high school. She currently attends Utah State and is planning on making a quilt with all her Utah State T-shirts soon. Some interesting facts about the quilt are it is made out of all my shirts I acquired mostly from 9th grade to senior year of high school soccer. The tie-dye shirts I actually made myself every one of those years. It is also a very fabric saving and practical quilt because the blank squares are actually the backs of the t-shirts included in the quilt so it does not waste a lot of fabric.
Emily Semadeni
The historical quilt I chose is this bowtie quilt. During the time of the Underground Railroad, people would sometimes use quilts as a secret code. They would hang them on their fence or put them in their window sills. One theory about the bow tie quilt block is that it was used to warn slaves that they would have to dress like rich people in order to pass safely.
I love this quilt because they alternated the bowtie blocks with solid blocks so you can see the bowties better. It also gives the quilt direction.
This quilt was made with polyester fabric, which makes sense because it was made in the 70’s. The back is brushed flannel, and my grandma thinks the batting is bonded polyester.
This quilt is a baby quilt. It is pieced and hand-quilted.
My great grandma Virginia Acord Tucker made it in 1976 for my mom, who was her granddaughter. She made it as a baby blanket for my mom, who was born that September.
Virginia Tucker lived in Fairview and loved to piece quilts. She almost always had quilting frames set up and would quilt by herself or would have quilting parties with her sisters and friends.
Mattie Sherwood
My heirloom quilt is remarkable. The quilt was pieced by my Great Great Grandmother, Anona Heap in 1968 for my Grandpa, Lincoln Sherwood. It was a gift for his 21st birthday. The quilt is a compilation of cattle brands belonging to my ancestors. The owner’s name is hand written in ink below the corresponding brand. Men and women’s names’ flood the quilt in simple yet compelling blocks of varying shades of brown.
The design is original but not tremendously flattering. Like most heirloom quilts, appearance isn’t what makes this quilt outstanding. It’s the names and the stories found within those brands that capture the audience. All my ancestors crossed the plains as pioneers and were then called by the prophet to settle north-eastern Arizona. They were cattle ranchers and farmers asked to survive in the sand and clay of that country. It only rains once a year during monsoon season providing less than ideal circumstances for most types of agriculture. Farming failed, crops died, and the sand washed away every year...but the cattle excelled. They battled the elements, native Indians, and rattle snakes and still managed to find a way.
The brands on this quilt are so much more than a means to identify cattle. They symbolize the grit and determination of these people. Through their obedience and awe-inspiring faith, my ancestors paved the way for generations to come. This quilt serves as a reminder of that legacy.
My grandpa passed away in 2010 at the age of 63. The quilt was passed to my dad and hopefully one day it will be passed to me. I’m forever grateful to the hardy men and women that settled an area so rough and wild it was thought inhabitable. I was born in the area they tamed. I am a benefactor of their triumph over trial.
Jenny Thornton
The quilt that I would like to share is a quilt that was made by my grandma, Charlotte Thornton. She made this quilt for me in 2017 when I graduated hight school. This is something that she did for all of her grandchildren when they graduated. What makes mine special, is that it is completely hand quilted, unlike my siblings and cousins who got tied quilts. It is also special, because this is the last hand quilted quilt that she has
made.
My grandma was born and raised in Mt Pleasant. She is the youngest of nine children and is 84. She grew up hand quilting with her mother, who ended up going blind at the end of her life and would no longer be able to quilt. The name that I gave the quilt was “The Final Cure.” I did this, because it was made as I was finishing high school, it has been the final hand quilting project that my grandma has done, and the edges are scalloped with the design being full of curves.
I was unable to discover the origin of the design but I do know that she picked it out of a stack of patterns that she has had for years. I think that it uses the design principles and elements of balance and scale very well. It is made from tricot fabric with a standard white cotton batting. It is queen sized, all hand quilted, monochromatic, and never been used. It is neither pieced or appliqued, it is just one sheet of fabric with a design quilted in it. This quilt is a huge treasure to me, and I’m very grateful for my grandma.
Whitney Vance
Qianxi Xie
The quilt name is untiled. The design principles are rhythm, balance, emphasis, and movement. It also has lines and color for elements of art. It uses red, green, and purple color fabric to sewing together. The principle rhythm of this quilt is a square and rhombus. In the middle of it is a huge sunflower which is represent emphasis design. So, the quilt middle is red color, around it is magenta color, and then it has green line to cut the area. Each of the corner has a red square, it has different quilting pattern like square, wave, and leaves on different area.
It was made in 1997 by my boyfriend’s grandmother Jeannie Roberts. It was made for her grandchildren. It is important for my boyfriend because he had been used it for long time for his childhood, it also has his favorite color on that---red, purple, green, his grandmother made for him when he was born, and it is a gift for his parents too. The few facts about the maker is she was grown up in American Fork Utah, after she married, she moved to Star Valley, Wyoming. She was living in a dairy farm. She has nine kids, so she has a lot of grandchildren. She starts to make quilts when she was teenager, so she has been making quilts for half of her life.
The interesting things of the quilt is hand quilting. All the quilting is by hand, and it has different quilt pattern on different area. So that I feel it is very cute quilt and she had been spending a lot time on the quilt.
Tracie Bradley
I call this quilt the Picnic Nine Patch. The block is called the Honeybee. According to Quilt Historian Barbara Brackman, the Honeybee quilt block dates back to at least the 1840s. The block was pieced with a solid square for the center; then "bee wings" were appliqued in place. Sometime in the 20th century (1920s or so), quilt designers of the time began to use a nine patch for the center square.
The intense red and green complementary color scheme make this a very striking quilt. The contrast in value and color really draw the eye. The blocks are placed on point. The quilt is balanced symmetrically. The repetition of the blocks give the quilt nice rhythm and continuity.
All fabrics and batting are polyester. The size is 76 x 92, which fits a full or double bed.
This quilt was made in 1983 by my mother, Carla D. Chappell Lyman.
Carla’s family struggled financially throughout her childhood, but her mother, Carlie Calister Davenport always found the means to make quilts. Carla remembers her mother’s “quilting bee’s” where friends would arrive, a quilt would be put up and the ladies would gather around it to stitch and visit. She enjoyed playing under the quilt with her younger sister and brother.
When she was married in 1955 her mother was able to purchase red and white fabric to make her a wedding quilt. The fabrics would have been affordable cottons, including a red checked gingham. Later on, this quilt became a favorite of Carla’s children. When they went outside to enjoy a picnic on the lawn, this was the preferred quilt to sit on. The quilt became very worn and by the time the oldest child, Tracie was engaged to be married the quilt was in tatters. Carla agreed to made a duplicate of the beloved picnic quilt for her daughter.
Like her mother, Carla had made many quilts using whatever fabric scraps that were available to her. Mostly she used materials left over from making shirts and dresses for the family. For the wedding quilt she planned to make she decided to purchase new fabric.
The fabric industry had made some significant changes since her mother, Carlie made the picnic quilt in 1955. A new fiber called polyester was developed in 1953 and the polyester fabrics became very popular. They did not wrinkle like the cottons of the time. They did not wear out as quickly and the fabrics were inexpensive. These fabrics flooded the market throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s. When Carla went to purchase new fabric in the early 1980’s she was limited by what was available to consumers. She located red and white fabric as well as red checked gingham in fabrics that were woven with polyester fibers. These were used to make the duplicate quilt for Tracie.
Quilt making in America experienced a revival beginning with the Bicentennial of the country in 1976. Tracie began noticing quilts featured in magazines as their popularity grew. The fabric industry responded to the growing interest and produced more 100% cottons. The polyester fabrics did not have the same feel or look of the earlier cotton quilts made by her mother and grandmother. Although not commonly used today, quilters realize the value and beauty of the polyester quilts made during this time.
Looking at the quilt today, it is clearly a artifact from a particular time, telling much about the fabric industry in 1983. Clothing owned by Tracie from that time was discarded long ago, but the quilt remains. It is also a cherished reminder of picnics on the back lawn with her beautiful young mother. It is a pattern that has a history and meaning to the quilt maker and the owner of the quilt.
At one time Tracie considered making another for her daughter Megan at the time of her marriage, but decided against it. Unlike the quilt her grandmother made, Carla’s quilt of durable polyester will last for many, many years to come and will most likely be handed down to Megan, still usable.
No comments:
Post a Comment