My Great Grandmother died in 1937 - 74 years ago. She was an avid quilter, spending her winter months in South Dakota with her brother in law and sister in law. The women would quilt away the cold winter months finishing tops that they worked on during the other months of the year.
When my Great Grandmother Carrie died in August 1937, my Grandmother Eunice(what a horrible name!) became the owner of this unfinished quilt top. My Grandmother died in 1966 leaving the unfinished quilt top to my Mom.
A few years ago my Mother broke the cycle - well, almost broke the cycle I should say! While still very much alive, Mom decided that I should have the quilt top - still unfinished. Mom told me that her own mother never finished it because she felt that her stitches were "big enough to throw the cat through"! My Mom told me she felt the same about her hand quilting abilities.
So now I own this beautiful antique coverlet and have my own daughter named appropriately - no NOT Eunice, but Carrie. Can I do this - the hand quilting? Will it be up to par with what Carrie #1 started? Can I do this and give it to Carrie #2?
Let me share with you my genetic disorder...
I've stitched these cross-stitched pieces within the last few months and here they sit, 2 need framed and 2 need to be made into ornies to hang on my Halloween tree.
These stitcheries have all been backed with homespun and stuffed with either sawdust or fiberfill, but need to be stitched closed and coffee stained...
I haven't done anything with this Christmas wall hanging that I showed you back a couple of months ago - needs to be machine quilted....
Are you getting the idea about my genetic disorder? No, let me show you a few more pictures....
I'm working on the hand embroidery on this wall hanging.....
This one that I showed on my last blog post is still sitting waiting for the machine quilting....
Need I go on or are you getting the idea that the women in my family have a faulty DNA strand? Is there a cure for this? If there is, I need to find it desperately as Carrie #2 is not the crafty type and there is no hope that she will ever pick up a needle. She takes after Eunice and would rather sit and read Shakespeare - maybe we should have named her Eunice!
Have a wonderful (and productive)weekend ~Ann
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Hi Ann, if you find the cure let me know. Maybe it is something all creative people suffer with.8-)
ReplyDeleteI love all your unfinished projects though.
Blessings,
Lorna
Too funny! What a lovely treasured heirloom you have there!
ReplyDeletexoxo
lol....uggghh I too have many unfinished things..and a headful of more that I want to start!!!
ReplyDeleteHang in there, im sure they will get done
Blessings,
Anne
Oh Anne - i feel your pain - i used to be like that - never finished anything until I set my mind to it when I started rug hooking. I now get "itchy" and "rashy" if i have something not done before I start something! LOL Anyway - I think the quilt top you and your Mom should work on it together - stitch size be damned - it's "handmade" and a family treasure!
ReplyDeleteAnn, I don't think there is a crafter alive who doesn't have a boatload of unfinished projects stashed hither and yon in their craft room! I think it is because we get new ideas about our next projects before we finish the one we are working on and get so excited that away we go without a thought to finishing the poor item we are working on. I've started to make lists of my unfinisheds and am NOT letting myself start anything new until they are done (well, that's not quite true but it does sound good in theory!). I do hope you get the quilt done though, what a treasure to be able to hold in your hands a piece of art that your great grandma held in hers, I envy you! Deb
ReplyDeleteHi Ann,
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. I've done the same thing.
Part of it is having the time. I think the other part of it is you've finished the creative part of your pieces and all that needs to be done is the backing or whatever to complete it. I dread finishing pieces because it's not a fun as the creating part. By then I have found something new and interesting I want to try and push the unfinished piece to the side.
It seems I have the same disorder....maybe we're related? Wouldn't that be something?! LOL
ReplyDeleteI think we all have some measure of this problem. You'll finish it all up-I have no doubt!
oxox
Jo-Anne
Cute post and what an amazing family heirloom. Should we have another procrastinator's challenge soon? Once again, I have stuff everywhere..oh who am I kidding, once again doesn't fit there, AS USUAL fits better!
ReplyDeleteCathy