Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Wrapped in Memories...and another Mother's Day giveaway..



Yep!  It is Wednesday...and a Wonderful Wednesday it is!
This is Day 3 of a whole week to honor
MOTHERS! 
There will be a giveaway each day that could make a
SPECIAL MOM happy!

Do any of you recognize this book?  It's written by
Nan Slaughter...she is SO talented!  She writes books, makes her own
recipes for YUMMY food creations AND she QUILTS too!  Ya JUST gotta
run over and visit her blog....POTS and PINS.

I have lots of children's quilt books. I really LUV children's picture books!
WRAPPED IN MEMORIES is one of my VERY favorites!

 Lyndsey's finds a quilt in tucked in a closet in her home that was made by her Great Grandmother
There was a poem written on the quilt...

Wrap up in this when you are cold,
The story of my life it will unfold.
It has warmed my heart, but now I'm old,
This I leave you ---it's worth more than gold.

Lyndsey asks her mother what it means.  But, Lyndsey is told to think about it for
a few days to and try to figure it out on her own.

So...how does THIS book tie into honoring
Mother's this week?

I hope the following pictures will help me explain...

Okay....these next couple of blankets...aren't quilts.  Neither my mom nor my husbands mom made quilts.  They knew how to sew...but, didn't make any quilts.  Yet...these afghans are just as precious to their posterity as any quilts. 

This first green crochet blanket is one my mom made for our first child, a girl born in 1974.  Why green and not pink? well, back then, we didn't know what the baby would be.  My mom thought the green would be cheery and work for either a girl or boy. My mom was taught to crochet by her mom...and I was taught, around 8 years old to crochet too.


This next afghans was knitted by my sweet Mother-in-law.  She had badly bent fingers from arthritis and was blind in one eye when she made it. This particular pattern takes many rows to complete and she knew it all by memory.  Someone in China had taught her this pattern when she was young.  All of the blankets she knitted were of this same pattern.  The blankets all had their own unique look because of different size needles, yarn thickness and color of yarn

My mom and my mother-in-law have both passed away many years now.
My children have blankets from them and now the grandchildren use them too.


The following IS a quilt...are you confused?...I did say that neither my
mom or my mother-in-law made quilts. 
Well...this is sort of a "fast forward" memory quilt.
This quilt was made by our oldest daughter (the first born spoke of earlier).
She took a class when she was eight (almost 30 years ago) and made this top.

I had it machine quilted a few years ago .

I did the binding.
My granddaughter (her daughter) thought is was SO cool!  I'm saving it...
I kind of want to keep it protected until my granddaughter is older and
can cherish it in her own home...maybe with her own children.

Nan's book
Wrapped in Memories
is a wonderful story illustrated with beautiful pictures.  It shows us
how Moms from many generations can connect thru quilts

and....I feel that the blankets/quilts from my family...
are doing the same thing!

So...HERE is another wonderful
GIVEAWAY
 for MOTHER'S DAY!

YOU can WIN* your very own

WRAPPED IN MEMORIES book...

Just leave a comment tell us about a
WONDERFUL- SPECIAL
handmade item is connecting your family's generations together!




*must be a follower to win - drawing Friday May 6th


ps...stay tuned...sometime this week there will be a GODIVA.... GiveAWAY

24 comments:

Vroomans' Quilts said...

What a nice book to gift. I don't have any handmade, wrap me ups passed down.

suemac said...

My Dad's mother made this beautiful quilt that was appliqued birds. It was all hand quilted by her and her quilting circle. I had this on my bed when I was growing up. I loved this quilt. My dad has it stashed away. Occasionally he brings it out to put on the guest bed so he can enjoy it and remember his mom. I know that when my dad passes on it is mine. That will bring back both memories of my grandmother and him.

Miss Hillbilly said...

I have a baby quilt that my mom made for me with embroidery on it. I don't know how I've managed to hang onto it because my mom died when i was 8 and my new step mom got rid of all else that had to do with my mom. I must have hidden the quilt from her.

Pots and Pins said...

What a beautiful post! I feel so honored that you would feature my book and say such lovely things about it - thank you!! xo, Nan

Donna~~ said...

When I was 9 my grandmother let me help her cut 4 inch squares for a quilt. At the end of the day she let me take some home (I am assuming the ones I cut that weren't square). When I was in high school I stitched the best of the bunch into a quilt that was poorly made and had to be Zigzagged to hold it together after one wash. But I used it for a floor cover for both my kids to play on and always remember my grandmother when I see it.

Jean Burke said...

I'm the first in my family to quilt. I helped both of my daughters make quilts when they were little. They're busy teenagers now but they have those quilts in their bedrooms - and hopefully, one day, will share them with their own children. Thanks for the opprotunity...piece.

Marcia W. said...

Wonderful book -- know my mother would enjoy reading to her great granddaughter. One handmade item that ties our family together is a cross-stitch table cloth from my Great Aunt Nell. We know that it is a family celebration when it is on the dining table because when Aunt Nell gave it to my mother (she was my father's Aunt), the instructions were to use and enjoy it often. Aunt Nell's Tablecloth is a story in and of itself.

Deborah in Atlanta said...

I'm the only one in my family that quilts. My mother and grandmother didn't quilt, and neither of my daughters quilt. I would like to have this book show them the special place quilts hold in our hearts. Love this book!

Bj said...

I am from Kentucky and come from many generations of quilters. I have a Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt that was made by my Grandmother for my Mother when she was about 75 years old or so. After my Mother died, I could not find the quilt and I went into my brothers house one day and there was the quilt on his bed and I screeched, "You've got my Quilt!!!!" He knew it was mine, he had me come back a few days later while his wife was at work and I took my quilt back, no, I didn't feel guilty, but I did make them a quilt and gift it too them the following Christmas.

yorkie mom said...

My mother knit an afghan for my bed in collage. Many, many, many years later it still wraps me in her love. She has been gone 20 years now and I can still feel the prayers and love in the afghan. Thanks for the memory! gougeonathome@charter.net (Allison)

Sallie said...

I love that book! What a wonderful giveaway! I have a quilt that I found at my grandma's after she passed away, but I think she pieced it. I sewed a red border on it (her favorite color), and my MIL sewed the binding on it.

Quilt n Queen said...

Yes it is a wonderful Wednesday...the sun is shining....finally.....this sounds like a wonderful book... Nan's 'Wrapped in Memories' book is one I would love to read...and if I miss out on this giveaway I'll have my DH check to see if it is at Borders.....I luv gifting quilts and knitted or crocheted blankets...they are truly the most comforting gift one can give. Thanks for the chance to win Annie... looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday...

Anonymous said...

I have a whole cloth bed spread that was embroidered by my father. Even though my Mother was a wonderful seamstress, my Father sewed all our "dungarees" and heavier items. The cloth is very old...my Father passed in 1983 at the age of 80 and he was a young man when he sewed the embroidery. I read Nan's post every day to my husband....sometimes I think she knows him! ces2147@verizon.net

Michele T said...

I have an embroidered tablecloth that my grandmother who lived in France made, which my mom brought with her to Canada, and I inherited! It is beautiful and cherished!! I will pass it on to my daughter!

~Carla~ said...

My grandmother gave me beautiful embroidered linens that my great grandmother made many, any years ago! They are very cherished & special!

Kathy H said...

My husband's grandmother made each of her grandchildren an afghan of many colors. She used yarn left over from all her other projects. We love the quilt and were just deciding it must be over 30 years old now and still loved and used.

Brenda said...

What a wonderful post this was. I would have commented even if you were not giving anything away. I am crocheting afghans for each of my 6 grand children this year. 3 down 3 to go. I will probably make them each a quilt but not yet still have to start my youngest daughter her quilt and am waiting for daughter number 2's to come back from the quilter so I can bind it. And my hubs says I never make him anything....Again loved this post.

RitaMarie said...

It's so fun to read the comments:) I have a few small items that my greatgrandmother tatted. She passed away when I was only 9. I do wish I had learned that skill from her but it is great to have something of hers on my sidetable to remind me of her. Would love to win Nan's book:)

quiltma said...

Would love to win the book.
I helped my 2 step(only to clarify cuz they are mine)grand-daughters make a special crayon quilt for their half (again just to clairfy) sister when my daughter was expecting. They were so proud of it and love to brag about it.
All the other grandchildren get quilts to.

Christine M said...

We don't have any handmade items passed through generations. But now I have made quilts to be passed down through the generations!

Janet said...

When my father-in-law passed away at Christmas DH inherited his maternal grandmother's knitted afghan. It is beautiful and rests proudly on the back of our couch so we think of his father, mother and grandmother often.

Gmama Jane said...

I posted one time about my "coat of many colors" which my Great Grandmother made for me out of old quilt scraps. it is PRECIOUS and looks like a little robe...which is how I wore it around age 3 yrs.!! She actually sewed bonnets for Eisenhowers Grandchildren!!
Thanks for your kind comments on Sew I Quilt about my tornado adventure. I'm safe but many have lost everything. I feel so blessed.
Blessings
Gmama Jane

Deb said...

My wonderful-special item is a quilt. My grandmother made it for me when I was about 12. Much to my mother's dismay, I used it. Washed and dried it. Took it to college. Re-tied the little yarn ties. My daughter loves the story of the quilt...and while at one time it was 'too special' for her to sleep under, it's now her favorite and starting to shred. It's not pretty, made of off-white, turquoise, and pink poly flannel/velour stuff, but it's loved nevertheless. So now I'm re-making it, right down to copying the vintage embroidery squares in the middle and finding the best turquoise, pink, and off-white that minkee has to offer.

Katrina said...

Sadly I have no handmade family anything to pass on but I do have my grandmother's childhood chair to pass on. It looks like a cute book!

ykatrina at hotmail dot com