I read this poem with great enjoyment from an 1895 book, and fell in love with it.  So today I wanted to share it in honor of National Quilt Day. What a great heritage our quilts portray!  I hope you enjoy it.

Aunt Jemima’s Quilt

From “Rhymes and Roses” page 489

A miracle of gleaming dyes

Blue, scarlet, buff and green;

O ne’er before by mortal eyes

Such gorgeous hues were seen.

So grandly was its plan designed,

So cunningly ‘twas built,

The whole proclaimed as master mind—

My Aunt Jemima’s quilt. 

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It’s a sad commentary on today’s society just how much we take for granted, and how much we assume that the way things are is the way they’ve always been.  Today, for example, a memorable or unique gift for a couple on their wedding day may be purchased at the nearest department store; many people lack the time and the patience to be able to craft a meaningful gift with their own hands. While those who do so are certainly cherished for their gifts and their commitment, more often than not really involved craft projects such as quilt making are considered the purview of women who have retired and whose children have grown up. While this demographic makes up an incredibly important segment of the quilting community, too often others who enjoy the process are looked over. Worse still, many people believe that this stereotype is typical of the historical quilter. 

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Read the rest of this entry »

Through all the years of rearing children–4 of my own and 4 step children, and then the grandchildren–I promised myself that “some day” I would have time to devote to quilting. I said that once the last child was in college and the nest became empty, I would have time to do what I enjoyed as a hobby: quilting. 

When the children were at home, the time after working was spent running the kids to soccer, dance lessons, music lessons, football practice, you know the drill.  Don’t get me wrong.  The greatest joy of my life has been the privilege of rearing these children!  But sometimes you just long for a time to do what you want to do, rather than what you need to do; and I wanted to quilt!

So I found that time in spurts, always rushed to finish a baby quilt just in time to wrap it as I ran out the door to attend the baby shower or quilt a table runner for a birthday gift and have to send it overnight delivery to get it there on time. Read the rest of this entry »