All in the Family

I was gifted a quilt made by my late grandmother a few years ago. It is one of my most treasured possessions. Some might think it's weird but it is on my "five things" list. You know, your house is on fire, you have FIVE minutes to exit the house safely what do you grab. First of course is people and pets. Then, I'd grab these hard-to-replace items and run:

• Purse 
• Personal papers folder
• Computer back-up drive
• Car keys
• Grandmother's quilt

I'd also grab my shoes and a coat. You need shoes to run, right? Wait, that's more than five. Anyway, I digress. The quilt was hand quilted around 1948 or 1949. Before I was even a twinkle in my father's eye.

It is approximately a full-sized quilt. The pattern is called a Dresden Plate. It looks as though it was pieced using old shirts which were hand embroidered. The first quilt I ever made was hand stitched, it took me over two years. I promised never to do that again. I love my sewing machines more immediate gratification. I believe that my grandmother had a sewing machine but she and my aunts preferred to hand stitch the quilts. 

Here is my version of the Dresden Plate:

The quilt is slightly larger than my grandmother's. I used African fabrics to make my plates. I also added Flying Geese blocks around the border of the quilt. I have never been fond of the color green, but I really like the way the plates stand out in contrast. I have a really busy back because I believe that the back side of the quilt should be as interesting as the front.