Working on the quilt for my great-grandmother, Cassie Reeves Hodgman (aka Nan) has been an interesting journey. She died long before I was born so I only knew of her through pictures and the occasional story from my grandfather. Since my grandfather is also gone now when I went to make the quilt I had to rely on my mother’s memory of her. My mother was 12 when her grandmother passed so her memories are a bit distant.

My mother remembers Nan as very prim and proper and somewhat strict, always wearing a dress. She kept a neat house, was an excellent seamstress and raised three wonderful children, my grandfather Stewart, Frances and Norma. I knew I wanted to make one of the quilts a monochrome quilt so this seemed a good choice for her.

Nan was also a self-taught painter. Here is one of her landscapes that is in my collection:

“Untitled Farm Scene”, by Cassie Hodgman, 9″ x 11″, egg tempera? on panel

I’ve been thinking of these women in a way as my fairy godmothers, of the ways that they helped make me the woman that I am today. The gift that Nan gave me, perhaps other than being the source of my artistic side, was that she raised a wonderful son, Stewart Reeves Hodgman. My grandparents lived in the house next door to me growing up and I adored my grandfather. He was my bedrock, my backstop.

I’ve also been thinking a lot lately (cold medicine does this to me) about why I’m doing this project. I’m not really a religious person but I am spiritual to a certain extent. I believe in the power of memory, that as long as someone remembers a person they are still present in some way. I think this is what the pharaohs were after with their pyramids and what the moguls are after with their foundations and skyscrapers emblazoned with their names on their sides, all screaming out, “remember me!” All most of us can hope for is to be remembered fondly by our family and friends, this is a life well lived.