The quilt will be travelling to the Canadian Juried Show in May and then off to Virginia to the Sacred Threads juried show. At that point it will have travelled more than Gram did. But now a piece of her and her story will be told to more people than I could ever imagine.
Here is my quilt. The story behind the quilt is written beneath. I can't tell you how proud I am to be her granddaughter.
It was made in memory of my grandmother who died in May 2009.
Every week for 10 years I would go over to their farm and see them, to do some housework, or just to visit. I did this by myself, and then as I had my two sons, they would come with me. And every single time, just as I was leaving, I would kiss her cheek and say, 'Bye Gram, I love you'.
She was the most remarkable woman I have ever known. A farmer's wife to my grandfather, a fabulous cook, a loving grandmother, and of course a quilter. Her grandchildren and then great grandchildren were her greatest joy. She was always so excited to see us. Everything about her was fun, whether you were in her kitchen doing dishes or peeling apples, or playing euchre, you were smiling.
This quilt was made from her blouse and a sleeper that both boys wore when she held them. The clothing is stuffed to give it more of a 3D appearance. The yarns couched into the background were from a sweater that she was unravelling near the end of her life. She was so thrifty and environmentally friendly. Decades beyond her time.
And the buttons.... there is a story. The yellow buttons, quite a few of them, represent how sunny and happy life was when she was alive. The orange ones, not so many, show the time of her dying and how painful that was for us all. And the red, all the red buttons, that is to represent all the love she left behind for us.
She witnessed my birth, watched me grow up, celebrated my marriage, cherished my children, and I held her hand when she died.
Bye Gram, I Love You
18 comments:
What wonderful inspiration for your quilt. Those are precious memories to keep close to you heart for years to come. I like the quilt, very creative and unique.
Wonderful quilt, and great story. Congratulations on the acceptance.
Jackie - I am so excited for you.
Congratulations! Great quilt and great story!
Jackie...I love your story and am so happy and excited for you. You have an amazing talent!!
I am crying as I read this Jackie. I too had a Gram, there when I was born, watched me grow, I held her hand. That is what life is all about. Thanks for that.
Very inspiring and a worthy quilt for Sacred Threads. Congratulations!
Congrats Jackie - I always loved that piece - it says so much about the way you felt about her.
Congratulations, Jackie. I wish I could see this piece in person.
Oh Hooray!!!! You must just be so excited!!! What a wonderful honor for you and the memory of such a special person!
Jackie! That's such wonderful news and the quilt is so beautiful and the story is so touching! Congrats!!!
Congrats! What a beautiful story.
I cried the first time I saw your story of this piece...I cried again today. Lovely, inspiring post. I wish that I could see that quilt in person; I know that it will touch hearts wherever it travels. Congratulations!
Jacque in SC
quiltnsrep(at)yahoo(dot)com
Congratulations, Jackie! What a wonderful tribute for you, your grandmother, and your quilt.
I'm soooo happy this quilt is getting the recognition it deserves!! Love the story, and love that the quilt gets to travel so much!
I am catching up on my blog reading. I knew you got this, but I didn't know what for. What a wonderful tribute to your grandmother, and her legacy will really live on now and travel all over! So happy for you!
A wonderful tribute...
Thank you for sharing your beautiful quilt and the story of your grandmother. Your quilt is beautiful!
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