9/03/2016

The REST of the Story...

This post was written from my heart to my son.
                      This is about his family,
                                                 his ties,
                                                          his family history.

And...
            It's about these quilt blocks! After you read this initial story posted in Feb. 2014, I will tell you the REST of the Story!


Back in 1981, when I was pregnant with my son, my husband's Grandmother, Eva Jackson Kelly asked me to pick out quilt blocks that I liked and she would make me a baby quilt.

Eva would sit in her chair every evening and hand sew quilt blocks. She had a room dedicated to these quilt blocks and trust me when I say, she must have had hundreds of them. Some even were finished into lovely quilts.

For some reason, I thought I was going to have a boy even though the ultra sound was unclear as to the sex of the baby. So I picked out these small fan blocks and asked her to set them up in baby blue.

I remember what Eva said to me that day. She commented that these blocks were not sewn by her, but by her mother! My son Charlie's Great-Great Grandmother! The white part of each block had originally been bags that her husband got his tobacco in. Mrs. Jackson would take apart these bags and after washing them, would use them in her sewing projects. The colored material used in the fan shapes are all the left-over material that she had from making all the dresses for the daughters and all the shirts for the sons! Can you just imagine the history?
Eva did make that sweet baby quilt set up in baby blue and I did have a boy! Sadly, life happens and our marriage only lasted 8 years and the baby quilt was left with my ex. I really don't know if he kept it or what happened to it. I have asked my son if he has seen it, and he says he hasn't.

Here is a four generation picture of the Kelly men. Eva's husband is sitting and my son is the small child.
As luck would have it, Eva gave me the left-over fan blocks that she didn't need to complete the baby quilt. She said that I could make pillows for his bed. That never happened. With a baby, a farm (with pigs, cattle and wheat) and a job, I just didn't have time back then.
However, back in the late 80's, I set up these quilt blocks in this brown calico fabric and made a wall hanging. I hand quilted each of them as you see them here. I had this wall quilt for years, until one day I just got tired of it and cut them apart.

I eventually found small square frames and framed up four of the blocks so my son, when he was ready, could have these as history from the women in his family.
That time has come. My son is now 32 years old and recently wed. He purchased his own farmhouse and is ready to take on these blocks made even more special for two reasons.
The first is because they were lovingly made and touched by his Mother (me), Great Grandmother and Great-Great Grandmother (both of the latter passed away). Not to mention the history of the fabrics used!

And secondly, because his Grandparents house burnt to the ground a couple of years ago. All his pictures and keepsakes were stored there and all was lost.
It's only what I had kept for him, that he has for his family heirlooms from that side of his family.
This is the REST of the Story...
This post is written from my heart to my granddaughter.
                      This is about her family, 
                                                 her ties,
                                                          her family history.
My son and his wife not only announced that they were expecting their first child at age 35 (both), but that the baby was a girl and would be named Eva after his Great Grandmother. I thought this would never happen...but it did.
I hand quilted each fan block back when I used them as a wall hanging in the 1980's
Yes, I had already given the four framed quilt blocks to my son, but found four more while going through my fabric scraps! I had actually forgotten I even had them after 35 years of storage. Especially for me, a person that doesn't get attached to much and is willing to sell just about anything I own.
I hand quilted this heart on the back of the pillow
I promptly called my son in Kansas and asked for the framed blocks back. I was determined that I would give an heirloom to my new granddaughter Eva.
I am not a quilter nor a quilt maker but I have been sewing for almost as long as I have been alive, so it seems. I whipped up this quilt top and found a wonderful lady that goes by Quiltology here in Quincy, IL. She was so sweet and loved the story behind these 1930's blocks that she custom machine quilted it to perfection. Click Here to go to her blog.
I had a deadline to meet...the baby shower, which I would not be able to attend, but sent this quilt and pillow to my daughter-in-law's mother and she brought it to the shower to surprise her.
I was able to find (at Hobby Lobby) special 8 1/2 x 11 paper backed fabric.I just put the fabric/paper in the printer and printed off the written story.  I removed the paper, heat set with an iron and it became washable. I sewed it to the backing fabric before it was machine quilted. It will now stay with the quilt and it's history will not be lost over time.
I also took the time to add tabs on the back along with the binding so it could easily be hung on a wall from a rod if desired.
I am proud that these blocks have survived and can once again surround a baby with love.

For you Eva. I can't wait to meet you in October!
Photobucket
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Talk of the Town @ Knick of Time
Fall into Fall Wednesday @ DIY by Design 
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Friday
Home Matters @ Life with Lorelai
Handmade Hangout @ Too Much Time On My Hands
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Creativity Unleashed Link Party @ One Project Closer
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Junkin Joe @ The Cottage Market
Saturday
Weekend WrapUp Party @ Tatertots and Jello 
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Sunday
Share It One More Time @ One More Time Events
That DIY Party @ DIY Show Off



10 comments:

  1. What a beautiful gift for your granddaughter! I love the story behind this quilt, not many people have something like this to cherish and pass down to their families!

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  2. Lovely, lovely post - brought tears to my eyes!! I love the history of this and I hope it continues to be passed down to more generations!! This is such a special gift - and lucky you, another granddaughter!!

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  3. Not many can tell such an exquisite story... and now it's HERstory to carry forward. Beautiful

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  4. This is so touching and so very beautiful. Family history is so special, and your family is obviously blessed.

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  5. I enjoyed your story, Thank you for sharing.

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  6. That is an amazing story. Your quilt is just lovely too.

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  7. When we were cleaning out my grandparents home after they went into the nursing home my grandmother wanted me to take her fabric scraps. She was an avid seamstress and I was the only one in the family to take it up after her. She stored her scraps in bins, in plastic bags that had been color coded, all blues in one bags, all greens in another. I went through the bins and picked out a cpl of bags to bring home. I shoved them in a drawer and forgot about them for a few years. When I was cleaning out drawers I came across grandmas scraps. I decided I should go through them and get rid of any I didn't want. When I opened one of the bags and started pulling the scraps out I came across 36 Christmas quilt blocks, all done in red and white!!!!! There was even a picture of how to put them together with sashing. It me a long time but I finally managed to get them put together into a quilt and handquilted it, just like my grandma always did. It fits onto our queen size bed and is a final reminder to me of my grandma. She passed away shortly after she went into the nursing home and never got to see her quilt finished but I think she would be proud.

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  8. That's really sweet and VERY incredible that you still had the parts to REwork! And how cool that she will bear the name Eva!
    I am SO lucky to have the things I do from MY family--including some of the architecture of my G-G-Grandmother's birth home!
    Catherine

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  9. I love family gifts like this. What a treasure for your granddaughter to appreciate as she grows. When my mom died, I received a quilt that her mother had made. My grandmother was named Viola and my mom was named for her. My son named his daughter (who was born 7 months after my mom died) Viola. Needless to say, she will get the quilt one day.

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  10. What a truly beautiful quilt for your granddaughter to cherish. I really loved this story and the obvious love and handiwork that has transcended the generations.
    Thank you for sharing it at Shabbilicious Friday Terry. I'm delighted to be featuring your quilt at tomorrow's party.

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It makes me smile to hear from you!