Ada's Vintage Quilts
My great grandmother made many quilts and a few of them were passed on to me and my two sisters. Ada's works are now family heirlooms.
These fans are all hand appliqued with black blanket stitching and it is hand-quilted of course.
Ada used a well known block here, spools, alternating with whole square blocks. All the work on this vintage quilt was done by hand.
Ada used the popular familiar with the Sunbonnet Sue block here. My family called it "the baby doll" quilt and I have had it on my bed since I was a child. The dolls are all hand appliqued with black blanket stitching and flowers embroidered on their bonnets, and it is hand quilted.
My grandmother found this finished top in her attic about 10 years ago. It was made by Ada, my great grandmother, but she had never finished it. I can imagine that Ada was so proud to have finally completed this popular and difficult double wedding ring top. I wonder why she never finished it? My mom wanted us to be able to use and enjoy it so she had it quilted and bound by a machine quilter. If Ada had finished this, it would have been hand quilted, but I've grown to love the juxtaposition of old techniques and new. My daughter sleeps under this quilt every night.
This baby quilt was not made by Ada. It comes from the other side of my family, the Thurmans. It was made in about 1954 for one of Clari's daughters. (You really want to know who Clari is? Ok, you asked ... she is my dad's wife. He married her after my mom passed away about 10 years ago. They met at a family reunion in Arkansas. I promised I'm not making this up! At that time, Clari was the widow of one of my dad's cousins. We're quite sure they are not blood relations, but now we have no idea how to describe how her children and us, Dad's children, are actually related.) Anyway this a baby quilt was made in about 1954 by Clari's daughter's great grandmother who was in her 80's at the time. It measures 42" X 35", made of cotton material and is all hand quilted and hand appliqued. Clari thinks that this great grandmother perhaps did not have a sewing machine.
This quilt was also made in about 1954 for one of Clari's daughters, but it was made by a different great grandmother than the kitty quilt. It measures 36" X 49" and is made of cotton material. There is some hand work but mostly it was stitched on the sewing machine. Isn't it interested how the border is wider on one side than the other three? There must be a story behind that.
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