The Old Quilt

The Old Quilt

Today I saw a beautiful old quilt. Most people would not see the same beauty as I did. It was all made by hand, from each tiny square that was cut and sewn together, to the intricate hand quilting. The stitches were quite small, but were still very tight. The quilt itself was very worn and tattered. Some of the material had gotten very thin over the years of use and the many washings it must have endured. The edges had became frayed, but it still retained it’s scalloped edge. The pattern on the quilt top is known as the Double Wedding Ring. It is a very difficult design when such tiny squares are used. The pieces of material could not have been more than one inch square. The colors were quite pastel, but I couldn’t tell if that was the original color, or just what was left after so many years of obvious use.

I have made quilts with my mother, though none as intricate or difficult as this one. My mother and grandmother were given the ability to do these kind, not me. I usually mess something up, lose patience and give up. Perhaps as I get older, I’ll try again. Maybe this time I’ll succeed. There is a lot of time and work that goes into making a quilt. An old tale says that if you are single, and you are the first to sleep under a new quilt, you will dream of your future mate.

There are three main pieces to a quilt, new or old. There is the top, which is the part that has the design, pattern, or color scheme. Second is the batting, which is quilted between the top and the back. It is usually carded cotton in the old ones, or polyfill in the new. This is where the warmth comes from. Older quilts were quite heavy, and would make you feel like you were pinned down under the cover. The last is the backing, which is usually muslin, but old flour sacks were used for many of the older ones.

Quilts, especially older ones, are not only functional, but are also a work of art that a woman would pride herself in doing. There are many quilt top patterns, from the very simple to the very detailed. They have names that may be familiar to you if you ever slept under one of your grandmothers quilts. Names such as Jacob’s Ladder, Bow-tie, Sailboat, Dutch Boy (or Girl), Log Cabin, Pin Wheel, Flying Geese, and the list goes on. There are those that really have no pattern at all, but are just as beautiful, like the Postage Stamp, the Crazy Quilt, and the good old Patchwork. Quilting patterns (the stitches that hold the batting in) themselves can be difficult, and vary as much as the different quilt top patterns.

Material was often very hard to come by in years past. First of all, in the rural areas, a woman may go to town only once every month or so. Money was also an issue. Woman did not have access to money as they do now. If they needed something extra, they would have to sell eggs, take in laundry, or come up with some other way. The majority of quilt tops were made from scraps of material from flour sacks and old clothing that could no longer be worn. My mother still has quilts that I recognize some of the material used in them. There is a piece of one of my old blouses, the summer curtains from the kitchen, daddies shirt. Like pieces of our lives.

Quilts were made by woman all over this country. Each area seemed to have it’s own patterns, colors, materials, and ways of making them. Some were made by a single person, others by a group known as a quilting bee. Some were made in the persons lap, while others were put into frames that either sat on chair backs or were suspended from the ceiling with eye hooks and wire. Some were made just for warmth. Others were made as gifts for special occasions, such as the Double Wedding Ring one I saw today. I wonder if it was a wedding gift?

When I held this one in my hands today, inside of a little antique shop, I wondered of it’s history, and questioned myself as to how it wound up in such a place. If it had been a gift, who made it? How many generations had it been passed down to like a family treasure? How many cold nights had it spent keeping the owners warm? How many babies had taken naps either under it or on top of it? Who discarded it to where I had found it? And why?

If you really look at it, you can see the love and the work that went into it. You can also see the sad reality of our time. Like many other things in this shop, it was probably part of someone’s estate, with the children or grandchildren wanting to discard and liquidate as quick as possible so they could continue their busy lives. Now, if something isn’t brand new or perfect, it isn’t respected or wanted. People no longer respect the craftsmanship, the work, the love or the effort it takes to make something with pride. People don’t seem to understand what sentimental values are any more. It doesn’t have to be a quilt. It can be anything that is, or was, homemade with pride and a true artistry. It could be a hand carved dough bowl, a piece of functional furniture, or an old weather vane. Crafts today are not the same.
I can’t seem to get my mind off the old quilt. It’s almost like it’s trying to tell me something. You know, maybe it already has.