Pattern by Me and My Sister Designs
Machine Quilted by Three Sisters Quilting
|
Wellfield Botanic Gardens offered an idyllic setting for photographing my Orange Slices quilt, allowing it to successfully snuggle with the flora and fauna. Orange Slices
Pattern by Me and My Sister Designs Machine Quilted by Three Sisters Quilting
1 Comment
Inspired by Mother's Dahlia quilt block pattern and cheerful fabric scraps, I began to play. I pressed, cut, stitched, trimmed, and flipped. I chose a fabric from the green stem auditions. After some applique, extra batting in the center, and some subtle machine stitching, I invited a bee to come and pollinate. Now I enjoy a new 12" square Dahlia pillow.
My oldest sister cherishes her precious treasure. Our mother began appliqueing blocks for this dahlia quilt in the 1940's. The blocks were a classic example of quilting from those years... saving new fabrics leftover from sewing dresses, aprons, and pajamas, and using them to design and create another functional yet artistic and beautiful work...a precious, treasured quilt. My mother married in 1945 and moved from Illinois to the Ohio community of her husband's birth, taking with her the collected scraps from her mother's aprons and dresses, and the collected scraps from the sewing of her two sisters. After she and my father began their family, my mother also collected scraps from her own sewing. It seems that beautiful pastel floral prints were her favorite. Mother only purchased yardage for the white background fabric. Most likely with help from her mother-in-law and her sisters-in-law, the top was hand-quilted and finished by the end of the 1950's. From the beginning to the end of making this quilt, she managed to birth and care for five of her eventual seven children, and make most of her children's clothing. Yes. I'm impressed. My sister remembers many details. In this block she remembers that the white daisies on blue background fabric was from my Mother's housecoat. The green checked fabric was an apron. The light blue with the tiny print was a dress for her. The other fabrics in this block were from our grandmother's sewing. The white daisies and blue flowered fabric shows up again here. The green with tiny red hearts fabric was left over from dresses sewn for my two oldest sisters. In this block she remembers Dad's blue and white striped pajamas. The fabric shows wear. Mother thought quilts were to be used. Period. With some persistent internet searching... and texts back and forth to my sister... I found her pattern! I managed to purchase a used copy of this book published in 1935. The directions are minimal in comparison to quilt patterns of today... only this one page. To attempt this Friendship Dahlia quilt, you needed to possess excellent sewing and quilting skills. Rotary cutters, acrylic templates, pre-cut fabrics, and walking feet for machine quilting were not available. My sister shares, "Mother used a paper pattern just like we used when we made clothes. They were all individually cut by hand. I remember her putting that paper petal on fabric and cutting around it." This special quilt provided and still provides an excellent night of sleep. I know because the last time I stayed at my sister's house, she invited me to sleep under it. I slept very well. An amazing work of love...
Mother's Friendship Dahlia quilt. |
I found I could say things with colors and shapes Archives
December 2022
Categories |