Saturday, January 9, 2010

My old quilts, continued (Velvet Strips)

I hope you are enjoying seeing these. I am enjoying it! I had packed them away so it is nice to air them out and fondle them again. Additionally, quilts need to be refolded so the fabric will be evenly stressed. I am washing these as well. We still need to sell our house so, I will have to pack them back up, but at tleast they will have been loved this week! I fully intend to have them out in our new place.

This quilt is one of several I have that came from my husband's maternal grandmother, Granny Joyner. (I love how they call the grandparents "granny" and "pa"!) Her name was Ruth Joyner nad she lived on a farm in Iredell County NC. I was fortunate to know Granny and Pa Joyner. They were lifelong farmers who had made it through the depression, raising my MIL, Meme (Mary) and her brother, Harold. Pa and Granny raised tobacco to sell and all there own food. Granny taught me how to chop and make saurkraut. I never liked saurkraut that came from the store, but homemade kraut is delicious!

Granny made quilts for warmth, but she also enjoyed the handwork aspect. She would quilt with any materials that came her way (as you will see!). I acquired most of my Granny Joyner quilts after helping to clean and organize their tiny house when their health began to fail. Granny had quilts packed in the attic and mice were beginning to eat away at them. Granny knew I loved them and gave me the pick. Other quilts were given to other family members as well.

This is my very favorite Granny Joyner quilt. I call it "Velvet Strips". It is made from various scrap velvets, handsewn together, back with a rough feedsack fabric and tied instead of quilted. I think it looks quite contemporary!


Some of the velvets have worn away, but that adds to the vintage charm!


Lovely!

2 comments:

Beth said...

Don't you wish they could talk and tell us just one story. They've shared our families lives. Cherish them, as you said they are lovely.

Al Wood said...

I was there when some of these quilts were being made (just a baby) I can still here the buzzing of everyone sitting around and quilting. One day they were quilting and not paying attention to me and I almost cut my finger off with a hatchet. How is that for wanting attention (lol)