Good Morning, Quilters!
This article was published in Country Living Magazine recently and I thought it was exactly what we have been discussing lately!
How will our quilts stand the test of time? Will anyone cherish them?
The family of Janet White of Morristown, NY certainly did!
Janet White was known for her quilt making…She made over 100 quilts for family and friends. When she died last week at age 84, her family draped her quilts over the pews at her funeral.
Her story and her family’s love of her quilts is heartwarming!
Quilt on, Ladies! Quilt on!
What do YOU think? We’d LOVE to hear!
Lori
43 comments
Carol
Honestly, with no family to inherit my quilts, I make them for me. I have made quilts for my mom and dad, a few for others who have since died – and I have no idea where the quilts ended up – but I only care about the joy it brought the recipients. I can’t be concerned with my quilts being cherished by strangers. I have also received quilts and knitted and crocheted items from my grandmothers and mom that I do cherish. But it’s the direct connection I cherish, not so much the specific item. The item reflects the love that flowed both ways.
That said, I do have a sincere appreciation for antique quilts (and all antique textiles!).
Robbi Imhoff
This quilt display was truly wonderful. I have given so many of my quilts away, I doubt my family could find them all. But I have taken pictures of each quilt and have made a quilt memory book with the pictures and a little about each quilt. I tried to add fabric scraps from each quilt as well. Hopefully this book will be cherished by someone in my family. Could be a great reference 100 years form now.
vivianbring
Great idea! I started pinning mine on my pinterest board. I doubt care that no one else pins them. It’s for me to record how I spend my free time and all that fabric I inherited from Miss Bonnie’s stash! Thanks for sharing and Lori – great post. Cheers,V-
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Its wonderful that you have that memory book–and think of all the people who have memories of yout quilts!
Meredy Mastrokalos
Marta, I can’t get the picture out of my mind of your granddaddy hanging all those lady family members from the ceiling! LOL. We skipped a generation in my family too. My grandmother was a prize winning quilter, and my mother made everything but quilts. Alas, my children are not interested. They admire mine, but won’t try quilting themselves.
Marta
Meredy, I can’t stop laughing… I didn’t realize my granddad was SO talented..LOL And after asking questions, I discovered quilting has skipped several generations on our family tree.. that is such a strange phenomenon. My granddaughter has made her first. I quilt, both my grandmothers did, not their moms tho but their grandmothers did.
Lori, I would love to know why…neither of our daughters are interested in sewing at all. Maybe I made them stand still to be fitted for clothing too many times… :)..But my mom had me stand still to be fitted..She even made our winter coats and ballet recital costumes. I don’t suppose any psychologists have ever studied this..
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I wonder why that is?
twemyss
What a shame she never gave them away like I do to various charities that love them like hospice.
Lois Borton
Wonderful expression of love and appreciation. Years back a friend’s sister died and her afghans were placed in the church also. Very touching.
Quilts mean more then fabrics and threads. Love enters in with ever stitch.
Lois
Janet
What a wonderful tribute. So very touching. Thank you for sharing.
Karen W
What a marvelous legacy! I showed the photo to my husband who exclaimed, “That’s a lot of quilts!” We should also admire her wonderful family who obviously appreciated her quilting skills. I only started quilting in 2003 (when I joined a hand quilting group); I still have 3 quilts I’ve made & 1 from my maternal grandmother, but have gifted 2 to grandchildren, am nearly finished with the 3rd & have more to do. I doubt I could live long enough to catch up to Nancy White’s accomplishments!
scrappychris
I saw it on facebook as well. How wonderful! Love the idea. Hope someone remembers this idea when I leave. Better yet am adding it to instructions. It will be called “The Last Quilt Show” Clever, no?
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Very clever!
Becky Shaffer
When my mother-in-law turned 80 we had birthday party for her and used all of the many quilts that she had made for family and friends as the theme. She was truly amazed at all of the quilts that people brought to her party and the stories they told about how much her quilts meant to them. She said it was the best party she ever had. I’m glad we were able to honor her and her quilts while she was still alive to enjoy them. And she is still going strong. She will turn 90 later this month!
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Thats even better than displaying at a funeral!
Lynette
This is what we did for my grandmother’s funeral a few years ago. I took two quilts that she’d made for me – an umbrella girl quilt for my 16th birthday, and a satin all-over hand-quilted personalized theme quilt for my wedding. She made these for all her grandkids and greats, and it was stunning to see the collection of what was actually only a fraction of her work. That’s what I want my family to do – have an awesome quilt show, preferably outdoors, and then plant my remains in one of those new tree-pod things we’ve seen lately!
Marta
What is a “tree-pod thing”? Where do ya see them? Thanks..
Barb Czarniecki
I am definitely telling my kids about this! I went to a funeral of a fellow quilter this morning- not a quilt in sight- so sad.
Kay
I have let it be known that I only want people at my services that I made a quilt for since they were the people I treasured and it was to solely consist of everyone bringing the quilt and speaking about it, I also have a large teddy bear collection and no one leaves without at least one bear!
On the reverse, I went to the viewing of someone I had made a quilt for many years before and my breathe was taken away when it was at the viewing and the family told me how much it had meant to the recipient especially as her memories faded. She just liked to have it over her and feel the stitches. I would like to think what she was feeling was the love that I felt for her when it was made.
Many years ago I had learned that when a quilt is gifted, you need to let it go and just hope the recipient will appreciate it but that this may not happen. So this makes up for any quilt that ends up not being treasured,
Donna
Now, that is a loving and thoughtful tribute to her.
Nanci Swaim
What a perfect way to honor a quilter! We displayed my 93 year old mother’s quilts at her memorial, too, and many guests were amazed by how many she had created. We also had a big basket of scraps for guests to take and slip in a pocket to remember my mom.
Bonnie Reed
I love the scrap basket memory!
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Love the scrap basket idea as well!!!
Barbara Frank
Thanks for sharing such a lovely quilting story 🙂
Anna
What an awesome tribute!
Susan S Thomson
Wonderful legacy. How lucky her family is to have these quilts.
Marta
Love the train banner today! I wish we at least had photos of the quilts my grandmothers made with their sisters. One would sit around the frame with several lady relatives that my granddaddy hung from the ceiling. The other used a 1912-14
treadle Singer. It is by my chair now..
Carole @ From My Carolina Home
I hope they all had labels so she is never forgotten. What a wonderful display.
Lorraine Doyno Evans
I saw that article on Facebook. I was thinking afterwards that I can’t remember how many quilts I have given as gifts or donated. Quite a few as I have been quilting 25 years and only have about four of my quilts in my home. I’m sure many of the quilters here can say the same.
Barbara J Hauck
Same for me, Lorraine. I don’t even remember who I gave my quilts too–so many have been donated to charity fundraising. While I think displaying the quilts in the church is truly a lovely tribute to the quiltmaker, I’ll take comfort knowing my quilts are being used on a daily basis in someone’s home, and that will have to be good enough.
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So nice of you!
dragee
it is so moving. Thank you for sharing.
Your quilted little train makes such a cute banner, I love it !
Sandi
That is what I wrote in my funeral plans in 2004, having cancer at stage four, I just didn’t know, what a great honor.
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Sandi-God bless you! You are in my prayers!
Janet
Yes this is a wonderful way to remember such a gift to share with everyone . We shared our Mothers talent as well by presenting some of her treasures at her funeral.
balburl
How touching! A wonderful tribute to the love she shared with her family through her quilts. My daughter, unfortunately, is not into quilts and sewing (at least not at this point in her life!), but I am teaching my precious granddaughter to sew and quilt and love thread and fabric! My grandmother taught me and I spent hours watching and “helping” her. I pray that one day she will love the art as much as I do, and will carry on my grandmother’s legacy and inherit my stash!
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I sometimes think quilting skips a generation!
Pat Hitchcock
Seems it did in my family. Mom didn’t quilt. I waited until I was 60 before finding quilting!
Marjorie Via
It brings tears to my eyes. She wrapped them in love and they loved her back. Thank you for sharing this tribute.
Liz Horgan
That is very cool! What a tribute!
Boo Grandma
What a beautiful way to honor her quilting talents.
Cheryl Saunderson
I read this article on fb and was so touched. What a glorious final tribute to a woman who obviously loved what she did. How treasured those quilts must be, especially now. What a beautiful sight!
Lori Kennedy
I thought so too! What a fabulous tribute and way to acknowledge her gifts!
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