A Family Tradition

My grandma once told me that I take after grandpa’s mom, always sewing and quilting. But I know that I got my interest of sewing as a little girl, watching her sew. She once made my hand-me-down dress from my sister longer by adding a ruffle, that was magic to little me! When I was older and would visit she would always take me upstairs into her sewing room and show me fabric she had, or things she had made. Sometimes she would just show me the amazing antique sewing gadgets she had. She taught me how to hide my knots when hand quilting. I would spend time with her as a little girl during the summer, and always slept under an old homemade quilt. They all fascinated me, the colors and shapes, and the way the little scraps came together to make something beautiful. So, from her, my love of quilts was born. I’d have to say I take after her.

It was later in life that I realized our resemblance...she said she always knew I resembled her.

She passed away 10 days after the picture above was taken.

I’m honored to that I love the things she loved, and I’m honored that I resemble her, and can catch a glimpse of her when I look in the mirror and smile. I am honored that she was my grandma.

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Years ago grandma gave me a book that had belonged to my great grandma. It had quilt patterns that she had cut out of the newspapers and glued onto the pages of the old book (thus inventing scrapbooking 😂 just kidding)

Inside the book was a folded piece of scrap paper that had a bird and leaves drawn on it. There were holes poked into the design, and chalk marks where someone had used it as a transfer to get the bird design onto something.

I had always wondered what someone had made with the bird transfer, and figured I would never know what was made, or if they were even successful with their made at home transfer. But I have always been keeping a look out for the bird.

While emptying the trunk that my grandma recently left for my sister and I, I found a small “something” wrapped up under a bunch of thick fabric. When I unfolded it I almost screamed, it was the bird!!! It was an old embroidered towel with the bird design on it. There was also a note sewn onto it from Grandpa’s mom that said, “Grandmother Young helped pull the flax to make the thread for this towel and it was woven by her mother grandma Stoner in 1867-in Ohio and grandma Young embroidered it in 1893". The towel was woven by my 3rd great grandma, and my great-great grandma did the bird embroidery.

I was so excited to reunite the homemade transfer, and the finished project! Grandma knew what she was doing when she put it in my trunk! I’ll treasure it for the rest of my life.

As in many families, sewing is something that is passed down through generations of women. It is something that I have been reflecting on quite a bit lately especially with the discoveries of the actual projects that my ancestors have worked on. There is something so powerful in holding their work in my hands knowing all the time and effort they put into creating it. As I work on my own projects, I cannot help but think of theirs and my inherited love of not only sewing and quilting but of all fabric crafts. Having samples of their work, has made me feel closer to them and has shown me where my craftiness came from. It is truly special to come from these talented women.