A Piece of our Souls

Each year, the local quilt guild, Down by the River Quilt Guild, presents a show of its work at the local library.  The quilts are hung from the balcony of the library's second floor. The setting, which is stunning, showcases their works, also stunning, to great advantage. 

I have stood at the knees of my mom and grandma watching them piece comforters from scrap pieces of wool and corduroy, backed with flannel and knotted with yarn.  Their creations were nothing like what you will see in the photos below.  Their comforters were meant to keep my brothers and me warm in our little beds on cold winter nights.  Their beauty lay in their usefulness.

Later, my mom and I entered the world of decorative quilting in earnest.  We have spent a good many enjoyable times poring over fabric and patterns.   Because neither of us is a strong hand quilter, we met an Amish family in Adams County who quilted many of our pieces.  Our trips to Emma's were not only to deliver our quilts to her able hands and those of her daugher, Ada.   With my little sons in tow, our trips often turned into impromptu picnics at Adams Lake.  When the boys were not with us, we indulged in fine lunches at the Murphin Ridge Inn and leisurely drives throughout the rolling countryside.  We've experienced the country in the softest spring green, in the crimson brilliance of the fall, and, maybe a little dangerously, in a foot or so of snow.

Three paragraphs later, I've completely lost myself in reverie, and I am no closer to sharing pictures of these fine quilts with you.  But, therein lies the beauty of the quilt.  Into the fabric of the quilt are woven stories of love, hardship, family, history and fond memories.

Let's now enjoy the work of these fine quilters.

 This quilt is called "America the Beautiful".  The quilter visited Pike's Peak with her son and family shortly before he was deployed.  It so happens the song, "America the Beautiful", was composed by Katherine Bates as she rode the train up to the Pike's Peak.  The quilter was moved to create this quilt since Pike's Peak, the inspiration for "America the Beautiful", was one of the last places she visited with her son before he was deployed.  She worked on the project while he was gone.  Her son returned safely to her.  

Quilts like this one, called row quilts, were passed from person to person, each person adding her own row to the quilt.  This quilt, however, was done by one person, in the old style.  Note how different each row is from the other. Do you like the picket fence border?  I do.

This quilt is called "Dresden Plate".  The quilt top was made by the mother or grandother of one of the area's premier quilters. She gave the quilt top to one of the quilters in the guild who finished the work.   What an incredible gift!  I especially love the vibrancy of the colors. 

This quilt, called "Rows of Many Colors" is a group project.  It, too, is a row quilt.  Members of the guild made the blocks for the quilt.  It has been accepted as an entry at the National Quilting Association 43rd Annual Quilt Show in Columbus Ohio.   I think they should fare very well in the show. The work is graphic with great contrast. 

I thought it fitting that a quilt with rows and rows of books is featured in a quilt show in the library.  The quilt is also a guild group project.  Each quilter made a number of the same blocks and they traded the blocks they made.  Many different quilters' blocks were featured in one quilter's quilt.

This quilt is called "Grandmother's Flower Garden".  It is a classic design with hexagonal pieces.  It was made by a woman named Inez Ware, who was born in Maher, West Virginia.  Inez was one of six beautiful sisters.  The quilter, Inez, gave it to her sister Dora, one of the beautiful sisters, in the 1950's. 

This quilt is made from flannel, and is made from challenge blocks created by the members of the guild.  One lucky quilter won the blocks and finished the quilt.  It conveys a sense of warmth.  I would like to curl up underneath it on a brisk fall afternoon with a good book.

This is just a sampling of the works in the show.  Aren't they lovely?  



This last photo is not part of the library quilt exhibit.  It is a photo of my mom and me with two of our quilts.  We were asked to be part of an exhibit at the school where I work several years ago.  We were incredibly honored to have been asked.  I will treasure this photo and the chance to share the day with my Mom forever.