Melanie Makes Meringues Heirlooms
I read a definition of an heirloom quilt a while back, here it is: –
A heirloom quilt is a quilt which is too good for your family to use now but good enough for a complete stranger to take to the beach in one hundred years time.
Something that I think is a real shame about quiltmaking is that many of these beautiful quilts end up folded in a cupboard or stored under someone’s bed. I am a big believer in actually using quilts. They are works of art which comfort and inspire. The downside of this philosophy is that sadly, in everyday use, quilts are sometimes damaged. I wanted to show you a couple of quilts I use everyday and their unfortunate wounds.
The first sampler quilt that I made. I gave it to my husband and called it ‘The Shirt Off Your Back’. Can you see the rip? I should get round to mending it, shouldn’t I?
This quilt was made out of a group challenge we did at quilt group called a ‘Shoe Box Shuffle’. Everyone put the requirements for a project they wanted to work on in a shoe box and every month or so all the shoe boxes would be passed round to the next quilter until we had all completed part of each individual project. Did I explain that well enough?
I love the back of this quilt, Raggedy Anne and Raggedy Andy. I received it in an internet fabric swap. Aren’t they cute!
And here is just one of the horrible inkstains my son’s have inflicted on it. D’oh!
If you watch the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ the experts will tell you that your heirlooms should be kept boxfresh and in pristine condition but then I think you lose the everyday enjoyment of seeing and using your quilts.
2 Replies to “Heirlooms”
They are so cute!
So pleased that you were introduced to needle and thread at such an early age, you were obviously meant to be a sew and sew, gifted I call it! Who put the needle in your hand? Looking forward to our next get together and cheese toasties, Love you loads!
MUM.