Grandma Jo's Last Quilt

Anyone who new my Grandma knew how skilled she was at knitting, sewing, embroidery, and all other manner of needle crafts. Watching her work and receiving her handmade gifts instilled in me a love of those crafts also.

Quite a while ago (well before kids and life got in the way) Grandma taught me to make my very first quilt. It was incredibly simple with one fabric for the top and one for the bottom. She lead me to her sewing machine and looked over my shoulder while talking me through the steps of sewing the pieces together. We brought the inside out empty quilt to her dining room table and there she taught me how to baste down the batting so I could turn the quilt right-side-out. Together we pinned the opening at the bottom then headed back to the sewing machine to sew it closed. Back in the dining room we used red yarn and a huge darning needle to tie the top and the bottom of the quilt together so the batting would not shift during use. 

During the day we spent together working on the quilt we talked about everything. She told me a bit about her childhood, elaborated more on her proud Polish heritage, talked about our (almost) shared birthdays, and asked me about my dreams. She made coffee and insisted I eat another cookie. I look back on that day and feel so grateful that we were able to spend that time together. It is one of my most treasured memories.

When Grandma passed away about ten months ago one of the things that came home with me was a patchwork quilt top made from Grandpa's old clothes. I am not sure why the quilt was never finished. Maybe it was her arthritis, maybe the loss of her eyesight. The one thing I am sure of is that she didn't like to leave things unfinished. With her loss so fresh I was not ready to even think about working on it. Every once in a while I would pull it out, spread it out on the floor, look at it, then fold it up and put it back away. Last week when I pulled it out I felt it was the right time to finish what she had started.

The steps of finishing the quilt was very much like the first quilt I ever made, the experience, however was quite different. During every step of the process I was bombarded with memories and overcome with emotion. It was a very spiritual experience. Never have I worked on a project that I felt so strongly needed to be completed.

This morning I finished the quilt by sewing a memorial patch onto the back. I felt the same sense of accomplishment I feel after every project I finish though along with that, I feel connected to Grandma in a way that I was not before. 

Grandma guided me in making my very first quilt. I finished Grandma's last quilt. It seems fitting. 

I look forward to the colder temperatures to come. I imagine that Grandma will be with me as I snuggle in under the quilt with my husband and kids beside me. I believe that her memory will live on in the comfort and warmth of this one lovingly crafted quilt.

S