Helen's Treasures

On Friday, the Frankfort Girls met for some stitching and visiting. Helen had the premier show and tell of the day - quilts from an estate sale! Vintage beauties! Have a look at some fine, hand-stitched quilting from generations gone by.

The first one she shared is this crazy quilt. I sure wish I'd taken more pictures of this one. The colors are so vibrant and the condition is near perfect.We could only see one place where the fabric looked worn and even that we weren't sure of. The detailed stitching is fantastic, and this is what I should have photographed. Quilters would appreciate the stitching that made a squirrel's tail look fluffy, just to mention one intricate feature. There were many more. If you click or tap the picture, you will be able to get a closer look at details.

The next quilt was a pieced quilt - some version of a Star of Bethlehem, we think. It is hand pieced and hand quilted.

I did regain my wits and took close-up pictures for this one, although they are rough, at best. Even so, that you can adequately see the detailed quilting stitches on this beauty. What a labor of love. The maker surely had a task on her hands with all those bias edges, and then all that hand quilting. Hours and hours of painstaking work, right?

When we happen upon lovely quilts at tag sales or auctions, we puzzle over so many questions. Who made these quilts? Did the same seamstress make both quilts? Were many hands involved? Many generations? How would this quilter feel at having her beautiful creations picked over at an estate sale and sold for $20 each. Fortunately, a quilter found them, and Helen does appreciate their beauty. She will care for these quilts as the fragile gems that they are. 

Sweet, fun-loving Helen is all giggles over a funny comment made as we were folding her quilts. Just being silly. She says she plans to investigate correct cleaning and caring instructions for these lovelies. They definitely will not suffer under her care.

I imagine that many of us who make quilts, occasionally consider how long into the future our quilts will last, and what journeys they will take. We work so hard and so carefully, and often with considerable expense, to create a thing of beauty; we entrust them to loved ones. At some point will they be lost to a random auction? 

We can never know. What we can know is the love we have for making them - what it does for our souls. I am satisfied with that.

Since both these quilts involve a significant amount of hand stitching, I am going to join in on the Slow Sunday Stitching fun over at Kathy's Quilts. I hope the stitchers visiting there will enjoy these antique beauties.

Happy Quilting, Friends!