One of my sisters has been going through her photographs and found this one of me. I believe it is about 30 years old. Maybe 1985 or 1986. We were on a family vacation at Lake Tahoe, and I had brought along this project to hand quilt. I had pieced the quilt for my grandmother (Grandma Agnes), and planned to give it to her for her birthday in January. I am pretty sure it was November when the picture was taken, because my mother loved to plan Thanksgiving at Lake Tahoe for fifty people. Well, maybe not that many, but for a big crowd.
Grandma loved that quilt for a long time and had it on the bed in her guest room. The colors seem so 80's to me. I bought the best fabric I could find at the time, at a local quilt shop, the first quilt shop I had ever discovered. Over time, the fabrics have faded a bit, not much. When Grandma died, my aunt Gerry made sure I got the quilt back, so it is in my possession.
This wasn't the first quilt I had ever finished, but was certainly one of my first five completed quilts. My points aren't too bad. The edges are kind of wobbly and my binding is so wide! I can see that I have made some progress in my skills over the decades, and that there was a good reason hand quilting never became "my thing". I loved making the quilt and my grandma loved it truly, so I consider it an effort well spent.
51 responses to “Throw Back Thursday”
What a sweet quilt with a precious back story. Your first quilt has fared better than mine. The fabrics in mine are faded and threadbare. Of course, it has been used – a lot – over the 30+ years since I made it. But it was used – a lot – over those years, so I’m not complaining.
What a sweet quilt with a precious back story. Your first quilt has fared better than mine. The fabrics in mine are faded and threadbare. Of course, it has been used – a lot – over the 30+ years since I made it. But it was used – a lot – over those years, so I’m not complaining.
What a sweet quilt with a precious back story. Your first quilt has fared better than mine. The fabrics in mine are faded and threadbare. Of course, it has been used – a lot – over the 30+ years since I made it. But it was used – a lot – over those years, so I’m not complaining.
How fun to have found a photo of you making this quilt. The colours may look the like they’re from the 80’s but the pattern is timeless! I hope you have a label on it to record the history.
How fun to have found a photo of you making this quilt. The colours may look the like they’re from the 80’s but the pattern is timeless! I hope you have a label on it to record the history.
How fun to have found a photo of you making this quilt. The colours may look the like they’re from the 80’s but the pattern is timeless! I hope you have a label on it to record the history.
See? You were focused, industrious, and a good quilter even back then! I love the happy colors in this quilt and especially the many hand stitched hearts and stars in the quilting you did. The love is well tucked in and your Grandma Agnes’ love is back with you in a form you can wrap yourself in. Sweet!
Look at that thick dark hair, too! 🙂
I had a Grandma Agnes, too. She was my mother’s mother and her middle name was Constance.
Hugs!
See? You were focused, industrious, and a good quilter even back then! I love the happy colors in this quilt and especially the many hand stitched hearts and stars in the quilting you did. The love is well tucked in and your Grandma Agnes’ love is back with you in a form you can wrap yourself in. Sweet!
Look at that thick dark hair, too! 🙂
I had a Grandma Agnes, too. She was my mother’s mother and her middle name was Constance.
Hugs!
See? You were focused, industrious, and a good quilter even back then! I love the happy colors in this quilt and especially the many hand stitched hearts and stars in the quilting you did. The love is well tucked in and your Grandma Agnes’ love is back with you in a form you can wrap yourself in. Sweet!
Look at that thick dark hair, too! 🙂
I had a Grandma Agnes, too. She was my mother’s mother and her middle name was Constance.
Hugs!
It’s lovely and has a very modern look to it, so I had to smile when I read your statement about the colors being very “80s”. I also started quilting in the mid-80s and good fabric really was difficult to find. We needed online quilt shops back then!
It’s lovely and has a very modern look to it, so I had to smile when I read your statement about the colors being very “80s”. I also started quilting in the mid-80s and good fabric really was difficult to find. We needed online quilt shops back then!
It’s lovely and has a very modern look to it, so I had to smile when I read your statement about the colors being very “80s”. I also started quilting in the mid-80s and good fabric really was difficult to find. We needed online quilt shops back then!
That is a great story. You were always meant to be a quilter.
That is a great story. You were always meant to be a quilter.
That is a great story. You were always meant to be a quilter.
What a lovely quilt with a great history! As Donna suggested, I hope you have a label on it & maybe you could find a way to keep the photo with it, too. This is a family treasure & someday Little E’s grandchildren will know exactly where it originated! Thanks for sharing the story!
What a lovely quilt with a great history! As Donna suggested, I hope you have a label on it & maybe you could find a way to keep the photo with it, too. This is a family treasure & someday Little E’s grandchildren will know exactly where it originated! Thanks for sharing the story!
What a lovely quilt with a great history! As Donna suggested, I hope you have a label on it & maybe you could find a way to keep the photo with it, too. This is a family treasure & someday Little E’s grandchildren will know exactly where it originated! Thanks for sharing the story!
A great effort Nicole ~ a wonderful family heirloom! Thanks for sharing this special
story!
A great effort Nicole ~ a wonderful family heirloom! Thanks for sharing this special
story!
A great effort Nicole ~ a wonderful family heirloom! Thanks for sharing this special
story!
Thanks for sharing this story with us it’s such a sweet one:-) Love the quilt you’ve made for your grandmother and although it’s more than 30 years ago the pattern is timeless.
Thanks for sharing this story with us it’s such a sweet one:-) Love the quilt you’ve made for your grandmother and although it’s more than 30 years ago the pattern is timeless.
Thanks for sharing this story with us it’s such a sweet one:-) Love the quilt you’ve made for your grandmother and although it’s more than 30 years ago the pattern is timeless.
It’s beautiful and she loved it! that’s what matters…put a label on it so when baby E. grows up she will know it’s history and cherish it. ;p
It’s beautiful and she loved it! that’s what matters…put a label on it so when baby E. grows up she will know it’s history and cherish it. ;p
It’s beautiful and she loved it! that’s what matters…put a label on it so when baby E. grows up she will know it’s history and cherish it. ;p
Great quilt…the colors still looks so vibrant.
Great quilt…the colors still looks so vibrant.
Great quilt…the colors still looks so vibrant.
I love it too.
I love it too.
I love it too.
It’s wonderful to look back and see who we were and all the things we did … and to see how far, and how accomplished, we have become! Thanks for sharing.
It’s wonderful to look back and see who we were and all the things we did … and to see how far, and how accomplished, we have become! Thanks for sharing.
It’s wonderful to look back and see who we were and all the things we did … and to see how far, and how accomplished, we have become! Thanks for sharing.
What a great quilt and story. Love how the colors still look modern or could pass for some of the quilts being made today. Definitely something to cherish 🙂
What a great quilt and story. Love how the colors still look modern or could pass for some of the quilts being made today. Definitely something to cherish 🙂
What a great quilt and story. Love how the colors still look modern or could pass for some of the quilts being made today. Definitely something to cherish 🙂
Wonderful post for a TBT. The quilt still looks fabulous and “in style” today.
Wonderful post for a TBT. The quilt still looks fabulous and “in style” today.
Wonderful post for a TBT. The quilt still looks fabulous and “in style” today.
Every quilt tells a story!
Every quilt tells a story!
Every quilt tells a story!
It’s a treasure Nicole! Thanks for sharing!
It’s a treasure Nicole! Thanks for sharing!
It’s a treasure Nicole! Thanks for sharing!
These photos evoke warm feelings for so many of us. I hope all the quilts we make bring along warm fuzzy feelings.
These photos evoke warm feelings for so many of us. I hope all the quilts we make bring along warm fuzzy feelings.
These photos evoke warm feelings for so many of us. I hope all the quilts we make bring along warm fuzzy feelings.