Mama’s Quilts

My grandmother, Mama (pronounced MawMaw), was an amazing lady.  She lived in southern West Virginia and Virginia most of her life.  No, she did not invent the telephone, the telescope, or the sewing machine.  However on any given day, you would see people in the community stopping by her porch.  I remember snapping beans on my grandparent’s porch with folks stopping by to chat or give the news of the day.  She loved her family, which there were many of them in those hills.  She made some of the best pies in the world, not that I am bias or anything.  And, she was so very talented in the fiber arts and pottery.  She had an eye for color and texture in all her work.

I wish my grandmother was alive today. I would love to asked her a million questions about her quilts.  You know, the kind of questions that one feels comfortable asking a grandmother.  Mama, what do I do when my hands get tired or crampy? Mama, how do you make sure that the colors are balanced on the quilt? Mama, I don’t have much money to spend on quilting, where did you find your fabric and supplies?

Mama, I am tired, how did you keep going?

My grandmother always seem to have boundless energy and her quilts reflected that energy.  She wasn’t afraid of color and texture in her quilts. 

Once I asked my mother why people in West Virginia made so many quilts.  And her answer was simple.  They needed them to sleep under.  These quilts are not prize winning quilts, but they are prize winning quilts in my heart.  They will continue to bless generations going forward.  Enjoy!

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