Monday, July 29, 2013

Quilts

Quilts from museum exhibit
I love quilts. So when the neighborhood museum opened their exhibit on quilts, I hurried in to see it. On display were many quilts made by local quilters. Some of the quilts were old and some were new, but all of them were beautiful.

 As I was perusing the exhibit, I thought about the quilts I grew up with. I had one with a flannel backing for the winter and a lighter weight one for the summer. I slept with one of those two quilts every night for years. They were made by my grandmother for me and all of the work was done by hand. However they looked different than the quilts I was seeing in the exhibit as neither one of my quilts had a particular pattern with regard to color or shape. My grandmother used whatever inexpensive source of fabric she could find whether or not they matched. Those quilts were very representative of much of the way my family was (is)--very practical.

I also remembered another quilt of my youth--one that I started as a teenager using squares of fabric cut from old jeans that I had. I pieced several squares together, but never got much further than that until a couple of years ago when I got it out and decided that I was going to finish it. I got additional fabric and made it big enough to fit a twin bed. However, I ran out of steam. Maybe someday I will finish it. In the meantime I like to look at it and remember the different jeans that are represented and what was going on in my life when I wore them.

Now, I have a new quilt interest--barn quilts. These are large quilt squares painted on wood and hung on the side of barns or other outdoor structures. I see them occasionally in my travels and it's always fun to find them. Also, Uncle Billy has started to make them and if I can figure out how to hang one, he will make one for me.

Did I mention, I love quilts? See some of them below.

Part of the quilt exhibit at my local museum.


Quilts made for me by my grandmother. Left: Winter, Right: Summer


Lucy checking out my in-progress quilt.



Some of Uncle Billy's Barn Quilts.
(Patterns in a clockwise direction: Lemon Star, Bear Paw, Rolling Star) 



Another one of Uncle Billy's Barn Quilts. (Pattern: Indian Maze)
 (Picture from Shelley at Intermittent Farm Report.)




4 comments:

  1. I love quilts too. I have tried to make a few and none of mine have come out perfectly, but they are well loved just the same. The very first quilt I ever made is still on my bed but it is showing wear, the puppy has torn a few holes in it that need repaired now. I love the barn quilts, your uncle is very talented. I haven't noticed barn quilts around here, but would love to have them gain popularity just so I can admire them. I hope you find a way to hang one so your uncle can make one for you.

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    1. Uncle Billy is indeed talented. Even though it is paint, it is still very hard to do the designs so precisely. I am hoping I can go on one of the quilt trails this fall.

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  2. I've never heard of barn quilts before - how cool :) When my sister was visiting we went to the art gallery and there was a quilt exhibition on, but we didn't go because it cost money (the rest of the gallery was free). It looked very popular though :)

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    1. I always enjoy quilt exhibits. Sometimes the quilts actually look like a painting. It's amazing what others can do.

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