Happy New Year
We will not speak of the Bruins Habs game.
Not a lot to say today what with the holidays and all. I got a bit ahead of myself and took advantage of being home for the holidays to have my mother help me out with my next quilt in line, the quilt for my great-grandmother Grace. I knew I wanted to do a signature quilt for her with the names of each of her children in the center blocks. Signature quilts were common in the mid to late 1800’s and early 1900’s. They were often done as dowry quilts by the bridesmaids or family members of a girl about to be married, by friends and family of a couple about to set of westward, as fundraisers for special events or as memorial quilts. [1]
I knew I wanted one of the quilts in the series to be a signature quilt and Grace’s seemed to be the perfect candidate since she had 9 children who lived to adulthood, perfect for a crib quilt. She also had a child who died in infancy who could be honored on the dowry quilt that I was making with a square from each of the quilts.
I am from that generation of children that was taught cursive in school but then never used it so my penmanship lacks something. My mother however has beautiful handwriting so I thought it would be fitting to have her do the writing of the names for the blocks, and what better time then when I came up to Veazie for Christmas!
So here is my mother Gayle, writing out the names of Grace’s 10 children on strips of Rives BFK paper. When it comes time for me to make the quilt for Grace I’ll dip the strips in wax to strengthen them before sewing them together with the monoprints and whatever bookpages that I choose for her.
I hope you all have been enjoying a very festive holiday season and that the new year brings you peace and joy!
[1] The Signature Quilt Traditions, Techniques and The Signature Block Collection. Pepper Cory, Susan McKelvey. 1995. Quilt House Publishing