Over 25 years ago my parents moved from Alabama to Georgia. My dad was a traveling electrician and he was going to be working just out of Forsyth, GA at Plant Sherrer - a nuclear power plant. He had been in semi-retirement but needed to be a union man just once more and the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) had just the job for him. They had lived in Kellyton for about five years and had made a lot of friends. Before they left I had a brainstorm and decided to get all of my mothers buddies to make a quilt square for me and my aunt, Shirley, agreed to quilt it. It was going to be her Christmas Present. Each person worked diligently at their square and we ended up with 17 squares. The quilt was pieced and it was too big for a wall hanging...so we removed 4 of the squares and made pictures out of them. My aunt Shiley's special friend, Claude, made the quilt hanger thing. See even the guys got in on this. My mom loved it. She lovingly wrapped it up in brown paper and a pillowcase....and it was never seen from again...until I began working on her house...there...like the picture of my brother....stuck in the depths of a closet...was the wall hanging. The rats had left it unharmed.....so I took it home with me...and when we moved to Rock Mills decided to do a room that featured the quilt hanging....and it looks awesome. NOW...I need to tell you that the quilt is a bit warped....one of the pieces is not a 12 x 12. One of the ladies made hers...11 x 11. Who cares....it is not going to be sold at a Christies auction...it will never be sold....it is what it is....a show of friends that my mother had. On the right hand side....second row from the bottom....is a brown cross looking piece. My grandmother made that one. She died in 1985. The one beside it was done by the ladies who worked at the Adelia Russell library. Most of the ladies who have pieces signed on this quilt are dead....some are still living....and they were all my mom's friends. They loved her....and she them.
Two of the four framed pieces are odd. The cross-stitched one I did and the pink candlewicked one my oldest daughter did. Neither of us could quilt.
The big basket is going to be a pillow one day. The other two pieces were done by Shirley Ann Small - an accomplished quilter (she sells her stuff for big money), and my aunt. Back in the old days....friendship quilts were made and given when someone got married or moved. They were a symbol of love. I personally feel honored to possess this great work of art. I know it is not a Ruben, Van Gogh, or Monet...nope...it is a Kellyton...and I LOVE IT!
2 comments:
Dear Karen,
What a beautiful treasure you have in this quilt! Such love and patience and talent went in to it, and the framed squares, all together they make a work of art. They are threads and stitches that bind together those living and departed, never to be separated though time and beyond time.
My apologies for not visiting you before now Karen. We just arrived back home from Toledo and one of our, what we call "adopted daughters" was in the hospital with serious problems with a toe that had to be amputated yesterday. But God is good and all the infected bone was removed and she will recover quite well. I haven't been doing much blogging since we moved into our new place due to many things.
I'm so thrilled you've displayed the quilt to it's rightful place, where people can see the love. I have a quilt top that my great grandmother made tucked away in my trunk and you've inspired me to pull it out this winter to work on it.
God bless you sweetie, Sherry
I'm just getting to read this. I LOVE your Friendship Quilt. I love handmade quilts, period. And this one is so very special because it was made with love for your mom, and now it is yours.
When MaMaw died (that's my dad's mom), my aunt divided all of the quilts and the pieced tops among herself, dad, and the other two siblings. Granny took one of the tops and quilted it. I now have it, and it is extremely special to me because BOTH of my grandmothers worked on it. MaMaw hadn't finished the border on it, so the 4th side is a VERY different shade of green--Granny used what she had. You know what, though. I don't care. To me, that is one of those things that makes the quilt even more special.
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