I know that it's a Brand New Day of a Brand New Year, but I had some unfinished business. I wanted to show the quilt that Mom gave me for Christmas.
She also made a warm quilt for Emma's bed in her cold apartment:
She gave a quilt to Bess for her bed:
and then gave Grace the quilt called "Card Trick" that she'd made.
Mom gave my brother a quilt that she'd made:
and she gave quilts to Sarah and Andy as well. What amazing gifts from our amazing Mom!
I bring this quilt out at Christmas time and it makes me happy. I believe that this is the first quilt that we Lahrmer family quilters did together. Remember that when I say "we did it together" it's not like the Amish all huddle over a quilt together. We all arrived on that first Monday of September, as we have come to do, with our sewing machines and supplies in tow. For this quilt, we were required to bring 2 yards of Christmas fabric, cut into 3 inch strips I believe. Everyone who came brought a paper grocery bag and then all of the bags were put in a big circle. We all stood beside a bag, and then moved around the circle dropping a strip of our fabric into every bag. When we got back to our machines and began to sew, the instructions were to pull out 3 strips, without looking, and sew those long strips together. We then cut the strips into blocks and put together. What you end up with is a hodgepodge of squares that look like this:
and then I got out my nifty embroidery machine and made this for the middle. Ta Da!
There were probably 40 of us who made these quilts and when we brought them back quilted the next year to show off, none of them quite looked the same. Since the Chrismtas Mystery Quilt was such a big hit, a few years ago we did a Fall Mystery Quilt in autumn fabrics. Back to cookie making!
This quilt belonged to my grandma, Rosa Lahrmer. Grandma made an arsenal of quilts through the years and up until she died, she was still making quilts. She never tired of looking at fabrics. In her later years, Mom and my Aunts and Uncle took turns staying with her in her home. Whenever Mom or one of my Aunts made a new quilt top, Grandma would inspect it and then want to make one of her own. Whenever Grandma died, everyone got a quilt--and this "Fan" quilt was passed to me. Grandma pieced the quilt and had her friend, Edna Simmering, to hand quilt it for her. Beautiful, yes?
This quilt top was made by my Grandma Morrison and quilted by a friend of Mom's, Thelma Helmick. I was a teen when Grandma died in 1978, and I don't remember her quilts at all or even that she quilted. I remember lots of things about her though--she was a gentle woman, she wore a size 6 shoe and her shoes and purses always matched, and she absolutely loved her family fiercely! Whatever she was doing when you walked into their house, she dropped and came for a hug and kiss. She giggled and listened attentively to my tales of 'teenagerhood' no matter how silly. I loved to visit my Grandparents and whenever I did, I always slept with Grandma, no matter how old I was. She loved me dearly, and I felt the same! I miss her so much.
Anyhow, this quilt means a lot to me because Grandma pieced it and because Mom gave it to me--a treasure from my sweet Grandma Morrison.
Mom pieced and hand quilted this Ohio Star Quilt the year of the Ohio Bicentennial. In fact, a lot of the Lahrmer family made these or some variation of, at our family Quilt/Sew that year. Mom started the tradition of giving each grandchild a quilt of their choosing upon their graduation from high school. Emma picked this one for her graduation in 2006. She keeps this on her bed here at home (the bedroom suit has been mine since I was about 10 years old.)
A quilt Mom made and gave to me for my birthday several years ago. She also made one for my brother. I love this quilt. This is one of those quilts that is heavy-- when you put this on the bed, you can really feel it! A favorite!
Our family gets together every year on the Monday after Labor Day for a Quilt/Sew. I believe we've been doing this for about 12 or 13 years. My Grandma loved to quilt. Since she had 13 children, I don't believe that she quilted for hobby until her later years, but she made tons of quilts. She gave them away through the years as gifts here and there. She lived into her 90's and was still piecing quilts until she passed away. When she died, every child and grandchild got one of her quilts.
Anyhow, my Mom and Aunts who stayed with Grandma helped her piece and quilt the quilts that she made in her later years. My cousin, Susan, got interested in quilting and she decided to do a family "mystery quilt." She sent letters out to everyone and told them how much fabric to bring and where to meet. She rented an old store in town and the family came. We brought sewing machines, our fabric, sewing notions, food, cameras, quilts we had made in the past to show, children and Grandma. Grandma always sat in a choice spot where everyone could bring her their fabrics to look at and show her what we were making.
This tradition has gone on and Susan continues to contact us in the early summer with the pattern, instructions and fabric requirements that we will need to make this year's quilt. It has escalated to quite a production. Grandma has passed away and we have moved locations several times, but the quilt/sew continues. Everyone brings the quilts that they have finished in the past year for display. There are give-aways and door prizes. And food. And lots of sewing.
The above pic. is one of Mom and 7 of her siblings that were there.
The pattern for this year was "Sunbonnet Sue," so everyone brought material and worked on this pattern. Some over-achievers finish their quilts before they even come. The blocks above were done as a surprise for Aunt Thelma's 80th Birthday this week. We made her Sunbonnet Sue blocks and gave them to her--she was surprised!
Emma and Bess' blocks are pretty cute.
Aunt Garnet comes from Florida--her girls come to the Quilt Sew from Chicago, Cleveland and Cincinnati.
Grace is hard at work on the quilt top she started a few years ago--a "Fall Mystery Quilt."
Debbie and Julie enjoy the day.
Group shot!
Susan always announces a quilt block give-away for the next year. She tells us the pattern, and we all bring a block for that pattern and then a name is drawn out and that person gets the give-away blocks. There is tremendous pressure to then build the quilt top and have it quilted for the next quilt sew so that everyone can see. Some of us cross our fingers that we will win, and some of us cross our fingers that we won't. This year Cousin Lori won the Underground Railroad give-away blocks.
but she says that these backscratchers aren't made for quilting!
I decided to start a new "Quilt" category since I'm working on a few quilt blocks now for our family's annual Quilt/Sew. I've made very few quilts, but luckily my Mom LOVES to make them, so a few have come my way.
I did make this Log Cabin quilt though. Well, I pieced the quilt. I had Mom's neighbor, Sally Hussell, to quilt it for me. If I'm not mistaken, this was the last one that she quilted before she passed. The stitches are lovely--so very tiny. I had always wanted a yellow quilt and this one is really sunny!
