I have several quilts that were made during my childhood and eventually found their way to me. Holding them brings up memories of my childhood. I remember a quilting bee that took place at my grandmother's house. My aunts and my mother worked hard with needle and thread to quilt the prize quilt.

I remember the quilt was pulled tight over the square frame and I think was supported by ladderback chairs. I don't remember what the stitching pattern would have been. I remember the rule for quilting. The stitches had to be small enough so as not to catch one's toenail in them.

I can't remember how old I was when I attended my first quilting bee. However, I do remember that a cousin and I, the only kids there, had fun playing under the quilt.

I also remember how it felt to sleep under one of these quilts. On a cold night, it really felt good. I might have to find some time to do some quilting.

For those of you who collect quilts, have some passed down through your family, or delight in the art of making quilts, we would love to hear from you. Tell us about your latest project and or the quilts that you have.

Hi!

I've just started quilting, at the ripe old age of 47.  I've been a knitter and embroiderer for 40 years, and always loved how quilts looked.  For about 15 years my parents lived in the heart of Amish country, PA, and I got to see a great many beautifully handcrafted examples. 

I'm in the middle of my first one - it's a modified Irish chain in beige and blue, I strip pieced it by machine, the center blank blocks have a heart applique which I then outlined with darker blue blanket-stitched embroidery. The major blocks are all sewn, and put together in strips of five blocks, I'm about halfway finished sewing the strips together to complete the top.

I plan to hand quilt it, though, I think that will be easier for me to control.  It's a lap/crib size and will hang in my guest room.

It's coming out well enough that I plan to make more lap/crib size quilts as graduation gifts for my best friends' eldest daughters who will both graduate high school in 2007.  One is a nine-patch using Wizard of Oz fabrics (she was a huge WofO fan as a little girl) and the other is a Yellow Brick Road using pink Barbie fabric (that one's a girly girl who recently confessed she still checks out all the new Barbie stuff in toy stores).  Remembering back to my college days, I think it will be nice to have something comfy from home to snuggle in while studying.

Linda