# Quilting with Grandma



## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

I was working on my quilt the other night and something prompted me to move Grandma's picture next to the sewing machine. Glad I did, closest thing to looking up across the quilting frame and seeing her sitting there I am going to get here over 20 years after she passed.

This is the first quilt I have ever worked on from start to finish by myself. I learned from her and worked on them with her as a child and a young woman. Sure do miss her.

See her finery in the photo. She made that outfit herself. Light brown linen with scarlett embroidery. The picture was made before she got married around 1918ish. She was born in 1891. Velma Mahaffey. Married Larimore Allen and their first child was my Daddy, Leland. Later, after she was widowed she remarried and was Velma McCauley.

Sure do feel her prescence working on this quilt and piecing, like she did, on a Singer treadle. I have one quilt she made (long story). It was made about the time the photo was taken and is an ornate Victorian Crazy Quilt. Next time I take it out of the trunk to refold it, I will take pics and post them. She was an artist at quilting and mostly did paper piecing. She always finished her quilts by putting Prarie Points down the two long sides so I plan to do that on mine in her honor. Sure wish she was here to help me quilt it, miss her terribly.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

What a nice story!

Being one of 11 children and about 25 grands, I don't ever recall having one on one time with my maternal Grandmother (paternal Gma died when I was about 2). After hearing so many people talk of the cherished time with Grandparents, I've made a commitment that if I ever have grandkids (blood or step) I'm going to make sure I take the time so they can have memories that I don't have.


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

I always think of my late grandmother when I make a pie. She and my grandfather taught me how to make their famous pie crust when I was little, and I swear I can still smell their kitchen every time I mix one up.

That's a beautiful story, RebelDigger. She was a beautiful woman, and your quilt is very beautiful as well!

Aww man, now I'm tearing up!


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

Macy, I was one of a over a dozen grandkids but, the only one who actually cried to spend time with Grandma at her house. I loved her stories and was always wanting her to tell me about the "old days". I used to go there in the summer and stay and Mom and Dad had to drag me home, kicking and screaming to get ready to start back to school. Growing up, Grandma was my best friend.

I try to make sure that I spend one on one time with my two granddaughters to give them the memories and Victoria, the youngest, actually helped me work on this quilt this past weekend. Spend time with your grands, they will remember and cherish the memories you create with them. 

Taylor, didn't mean to make ya cry! I remember Grandma every time I make bread and butter pickles cause I use her recipe and the crock she used to chill the cucumbers in. Never will I forget the first batch. I tasted one and started doing the happy dance around the kitchen cause I got it right, they tasted just like hers LOL. Daddy told me once that my biscuits taste "just like Momma's". I was like, well Duh! she's the one that taught me to make them!

Back to sewing, it is due to Grandma that I know how to use a treadle sewing machine since I learned on her's. I made an apron on it when I was 7 and she was so proud she wore that thing til it was threadbare even though I didn't do such a great job on it. I have asked the other side of the family for her treadle. It has been sitting in her house over 20 years since she died, not being used but, oh well not gonna happen. I would also love to have the quilting frame, hers was one with the pegs and had the pulleys so it could be cranked up to the ceiling out of the way. Grandpa built it for her when they first got married. What rankles is that I am the only one in the whole family that would actually use them for the purpose they were intended for and cherish them for the memories. What do the french say, sa la vie? (sure I misspelled that LOL).


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

It's good tears! I was one of 13, but we were all there often. My family was the only one that had to drive in (and therefore stay the night), so I got lots of extra time. Night before Thanksgiving was always one of the most amazing learning experiences ever.


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## Tinker (Apr 5, 2004)

Rebel, I am sure you will make her proud!


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

aww! I have such wonderful memories of my Grandmother. She taught me to sew too. I remember sitting at her machine with her and her showing/telling me what to do......even earlier sitting beside her in the floor playing with scraps while she sewed. I was her oldest grandchild so I got lots of time with her. She's been gone 3 years now and I still miss her.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Thanks for sharing - keeping your grandmother's memory in quilting...

My own distant grandmother made crazy quilts from the sewing scraps of clothing my mother sent her for each child. Even though we couldn't be with her, those quilts brought her close to us.


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## mizlew (Jun 13, 2012)

My grandmother taught me to sew also. I lived with her and my grandfather from the age of 9 months to nine years. She and I were very close and she was young enough to be my Mother as she was only 38 when I was born. I still see or read things and think oh I have to tell Grammy. She died 35 years ago and I still miss her.


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## FarmChix (Mar 3, 2013)

Perfect place to have her with you. Great story!


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

It is so nice that you had a relationship with your grandmother. I was also one of a crowd and so did not have special times with either of them. I try to be a part of my grandkids lives, though.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

What a wonderful story, wish I could have known my grandparents. My dad's mother died the year before he and my mother married and his dad died when he was 11. My mother's mother died when I was 4, but she was bed bound for several years before then so don't remember much about her only that almost all her nose and upper lip was gone from cancer. My mother's dad died before I was born. But I do think about my mother a lot while I'm sewing. She taught me and made sure I did it right or I had to do it over until I got it right.

She use to say you may need to do this sometime. She was right, I made my living for years sewing in factories then interior design shops.


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

Ruby said:


> What a wonderful story, wish I could have known my grandparents. My dad's mother died the year before he and my mother married and his dad died when he was 11. My mother's mother died when I was 4, but she was bed bound for several years before then so don't remember much about her only that almost all her nose and upper lip was gone from cancer. My mother's dad died before I was born. But I do think about my mother a lot while I'm sewing. She taught me and made sure I did it right or I had to do it over until I got it right.
> 
> She use to say you may need to do this sometime. She was right, I made my living for years sewing in factories then interior design shops.


LOL Ruby, I hear ya. The first sewing tool other than the machine Grandma taught me to use was a seam ripper LOL! Thought of that today when I had to rip out an entire seam in the quilt because things did not line up to my satisfaction. I swear I think her expression changed in the picture, to a smirk :spinsmiley:.


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## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

I have many memories of spending time with my grand mom. But I don't remember her sewing or having a sewing machine. Perhaps she did when she was younger, she must have, she had 5 daughters. 

RebelDigger, I sure hope you can eventually convince the "other side" to let loose of her treadle and quilt frame. If not, perhaps a covert rescue mission is in order 

Joe


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## housewife (Mar 16, 2006)

Wow that is so nice. I have my grandmothers reports of granduation from a couple of sewing courses framed and hanging by my machine. She did the courses in the 1920's when she was living in the big city. To hear my mom tell it my grandmother and her mother fought about sewing my grandmother was told she couldn't sew well enough. I'm sure that there was more to the story but my grandmother has been gone for more years than I care to remember. I still find myself wanting to call to tell her and my grandfather something. I guess I always will. I think I will find a picture to go in my sewing room too.

What a lovely idea to honour our past!

alergies are really bad... I'm sure that's why my eyes are watery


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

Katskitten said:


> RebelDigger, I sure hope you can eventually convince the "other side" to let loose of her treadle and quilt frame. If not, perhaps a covert rescue mission is in order
> 
> Joe


LOL Joe, I have to admit the thought has crossed my mind. I can get into the house, even though it is locked, remember I was a kid all over it in the day but, I don't want to stoop to that level. She left them to me along with her Home Comfort cook stove and a wardrobe that came over from Ireland with the ancestors in her will, showed it to me. However, when she died, before Daddy got there from Florida, the will mysteriously disappeared. How convenient LOL. 

I guess that is why I am so into rescuing old machines and getting them running, the ONE I want, I cannot have so to compensate I help the others. As far as the quilting frame, I have some old oak wood, the same stuff that is on the sewing rooms walls, I remember the frame well and plan to duplicate it, just need to find the right pulleys.


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

Got it pinned and on the quilting frame. Can't start quilting until I get legs built for the frame to sit on but, it's a go with Tigger. Grandma would so be hollerin to get that critter off the quilt !


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## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

RebelDigger,

I notice your QC inspector is fast at work  
I think I agree with her too, that's a nice quilt.


Since posting above we talked to one of my aunts. She said my grand mom had an old Singer treadle machine when they were growing up. My mom was born in the late 20s so I figure it was older than that by a few. 
My aunt has no idea what ever happened to it.

Joe


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## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

RebelDigger,

I'd like to know where you get your batting? What size and weight is it? 

Elaine


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

Katskitten said:


> RebelDigger,
> 
> I'd like to know where you get your batting? What size and weight is it?
> 
> Elaine


Well I failed Grandma, I did not glean my own cotton from the fields and comb it myself like we did for hers LOL. I opted for Wal-Mart. It is the 80% cotton, 20% poly high loft batt that my local Wally World had in stock. I was in a hurry to get the quilt sandwich put together and although I really wanted 100% cotton, that is as close as I could get locally. The queen size in this is about $18. Hope this helps.


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

Katskitten said:


> RebelDigger,
> 
> I notice your QC inspector is fast at work
> I think I agree with her too, that's a nice quilt.
> ...


Thanks Joe. Yeah, that is about as fast as Tigger gets these days. He is 6 going on 60. Has livened up a bit since we got a kitten though.

I often wonder about folks. For Sale--grandma's sewing machine and the pictures are taken out in the garage or shed. Even if I did not sew, I would never treat something that had been so important to my grandma like that.


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

BTW look at the row of blocks where Tigger's feet are, three blocks over. See the pink section? Grandma always put one piece in each quilt that was unique and different from every other piece of fabric in the quilt. So, I did too.


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

I see that pink. How neat that you have that tradition to carry on! And I totally understand about the machine you want but cannot have. My great grandmother's treadle, that fascinated me as a child, is sitting in my mother's house unused and uncared for. She more than likely will sell it, if she hasn't already, rather than let me have it. I'm not even sure what kind it is. But I remember sitting at it as a child at my great uncle's and treadling away on it. I would so love to sew on that machine knowing that my great grandmother and grandmother both sewed on it. I do have an old machine of my Grannie's though and I treasure it. But that treadle is what inspired me to get one. 

And this thread has made me thoroughly miss Grannie even more.

I don't have grands yet....maybe in a few more years but I intend to spend as much time with them as I can. I told my older girls I don't want to be called grandmother or anything else......I want to be grannie. My oldest told me I wasn't old enough to be grannie.....I told her by the time she has kids I would be! lol!


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## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

My only consolation is I have several old Singers that "could - might - maybe" be like my grand moms. Two are the right vintage too. But I'll never know ..... 

The one different piece is something I've heard about somewhere some eons ago. I couldn't find it now if I wanted to. 

Joe


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I'll content myself with rescuing other people's Granny's Machine and giving them a home and loving them.

I have several stories of how people are so happy that someone with a heart for the old machines is buying thier Grannie's machine. We can't keep everying and sometimes we have to be honest that what we love isn't loved by those coming up after us.

And there are probably a lot of things our own Grandparents loved that meant nothing to us. While I know my Granny sewed a lot, I also know sewing wasn't her passion. Gradening and cooking were - so for her the old sewing machine was an appliance she was less attached to than her kitchen stove. 

Since we are Homesteaders - you will all understand that it is in my Pantry that I feel closer to my Grandmother than in the sewing room.


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

ginnie5 said:


> I see that pink. How neat that you have that tradition to carry on! And I totally understand about the machine you want but cannot have. My great grandmother's treadle, that fascinated me as a child, is sitting in my mother's house unused and uncared for. She more than likely will sell it, if she hasn't already, rather than let me have it. I'm not even sure what kind it is. But I remember sitting at it as a child at my great uncle's and treadling away on it. I would so love to sew on that machine knowing that my great grandmother and grandmother both sewed on it. I do have an old machine of my Grannie's though and I treasure it. But that treadle is what inspired me to get one.
> 
> And this thread has made me thoroughly miss Grannie even more.
> 
> I don't have grands yet....maybe in a few more years but I intend to spend as much time with them as I can. I told my older girls I don't want to be called grandmother or anything else......I want to be grannie. My oldest told me I wasn't old enough to be grannie.....I told her by the time she has kids I would be! lol!


I am "Meemaw" to my grands. My kids called my Mom that so when the time came to decide I figured if it was good enough for Mom, it is good enough for me!


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## housewife (Mar 16, 2006)

ok allergies again! I don't understand why poeple hurt people this way!! When I was working retail one of our regular customers would come in and buy family stuff!!! His stepmother donated it and he bought it. Once it was pics of the grandbabies. There are days I really don't like this world!!


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