The Saturday Journal: The Quiltmaker
- tathelmillerwriter
- Jun 13
- 4 min read
She’s from a big family–a middle child. She began holding a needle and thread in early childhood–her mother was a quilter–a seamstress–her grandmother, great-grandmother and many of her sisters–the same.
Her seamstress days didn’t begin as a quiltmaker–she sewed clothes, doll clothes, curtains–furniture covers–pillows–and out of necessity–darned socks and repaired holes in worn-out jeans–work shirts. This seamstress–she seemed to excel in all she touched with the weaving of fabrics–the stroking of the needle and thread–but nowhere in all her sewing days did she shine as bright or continue to do so, as she does--as the quiltmaker.
Her quilt patterns–some date as far back as the 1920's. Patterns such as the Log Cabin, Flying Geese, Scrap Quilts, Double Wedding Ring, Tree of Life, Nine-Patch, Yo-Yo Quilt–Bear’s Paw, Dresden Plates, Sunbonnet Sue–Sunbonnet Sam, special baby quilts and design quilts, and the good ole scrap quilt.
He served his country–not on foreign soil–on his homeland–out west on construction crews. As the story goes–there’s not much to tell–other than he was serving in the mid-western states. And this soldier, he had a trunk he carried his personal belongings from his home in the Foothills of North Carolina to where he was stationed. And once this soldier’s service ended–he came home–the trunk, placed in storage–withering away.
The quiltmaker, she was in the barn one day and asked the soldier–now part of her family–if you no longer want the trunk–would it be okay if I took it and restored it? It wasn’t anything fancy–the trunk–but the quiltmaker believed the old trunk deserved more than a musty and damp barn.
He said, yes–take it on and she did. And when she opened the trunk what she found inside was much more than she could have ever imagined. In the trunk were quilt squares–caked in dirt--tattered in places from old age–hand-sewn squares. The beginning of a quilt–unfinished.
Who sewed these squares? How old are they? Will I ever get them clean? Why was this quilt never finished?
The quilt squares, according to family members, were made by either the soldier’s wife’s mother or grandmother–no one in the family knew for sure.
The quiltmaker went to work. She used a special cleaning material and carefully soaked and washed the squares. And during the process of finding these treasures of fabric–cleaning them–sewing them together–adding a single row of Yo-Yo’s for a border–this quilt had become more than just another quilt. It had become a part of her. She had to know more about this piece of history she had held in her hands for hours upon hours.
And then, she set out to find a quilt appraiser.
She heard about a lady, a certified quilt appraiser who lived in a small town in Virginia. And it just so happened this expert in the field of quilt history was going to be at a quilt show in the mountains of Ashe County. In the fall of 2008, the quiltmaker traveled up the mountain–the heavy and bulky squares safely tucked away in a bag and she found the certified quilt appraiser at the quilt show and talked with her. She learned her official title was a “AQS Certified Appraiser”.
The AQS Certified Appraiser estimated the quilt squares were made in 1920 and the approximate value per square–$25.00. She also determined the squares were of a “Southern Style” and the pattern, “Pine Cone”.
And the quiltmaker thanked her for her time and paid the AQS Certified Appraiser $20.00 for her knowledge and expertise.
It was the quiltmaker who saw the beauty of the quilt squares and decided the work--the restoring of the treasure--the heirloom was worth saving. And if you were to ask the quiltmaker--how many quilts has she sewn and given away over her lifetime–the designs and patterns she has used--she couldn’t tell you–maybe four hundred or more--she doesn't know--she never saw the need to count--or remember.
And this past week, the quiltmaker turned 85 and when I visited my Mama on her birthday--she was sitting in her favorite recliner and in her lap was a quilt top--the colors of summer and the design of starbursts--and her needle and quilting thread--in hand.
Last winter I was watching some documentaries on The Quiltmakers of Gee's Bend--Gee's Bend, a small rural town in Alabama. One of the quilters was sitting on her front porch--cutting small pieces of fabric--folding them just right and I remembered the quilt my Mama had restored--the Pine Cone pattern. And I was once again in awe of the artistry--the gift quiltmakers share with us all.
Below are two links to the documentaries featuring stories of the quiltmakers of Gee's Bend.
Take some time and watch them. I can guarantee you will receive a huge blessing from the stories shared in these documentaries.
I am grateful for each of you--more than you will ever know.
And I pray, the stories shared in this space will encourage you--
bring a smile or remembrance, and bless you in some small way.
If you would like to have The Saturday Journal,
occasional newsletters and stories come straight to your email box,
please subscribe at
All stories copyright and owned by the author, Tathel Miller,
photographs copyright and owned by Tathel Miller,
unless otherwise credited to another photographer.
Email:
Soli Deo Gloria
Tathel
Comments