My beloved Grandma Nan passed away last night in her sleep. She was 79 years young. This first photo is of her and I and my dad (who passed away last Sept.) on her 75th birthday party. The picture with my messed up star quilt is one of my favorite memories of Grandma Nan. She liked to sew and when I lived back in Wisconsin we would often get together to sew. She helped me with this quilt...I laid it out on the living room floor and was to match up what went to what and pin and she would sew at the kitchen table. It was alot of up and down for me and we did alot of rearranging trying to get the pattern right. This was pretty early in my quilting and with no design wall, etc. this really was too difficult for me. Grandma trusted my pinning and such and we caught a few minor disasters and unsewed and resewed, etc. I recall learning how to do inset seams because I found a few turned around pieces and took them out and redid them before sending it off to be quilted. I was so proud when the quilt was done! After it was quilted and hung up and I took photos, well one day weeks later I realized that with all that froggin around we still had screwed up (this the name my messed up star quilt)! Somehow I had completely mixed up two of the colors in the placement and we had carefully pinned and sewed them together with them in the wrong places. You can see the green in the picture does not add to the star idea! Anyways, by then it was too late and I have all these fabulous memories of sewing with Grandma Nan so it doesn't really matter :)
The picture was taken at my graduation party. The last picture was taken a little over a month ago when I was visiting Wisconsin...we went out to eat and I shared that picture back then, but we also stopped by her place for a quick visit and took these pictures. This is my oldest son Coleman with me and Grandma Nan. She is the last of my grandmas. I still have two living grandfathers. I am just sorry to lose her so soon after losing my Dad.
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Today I went through pictures for the funeral home and have figured out my ticket for the most part, started packing, called in to work, etc. I am operating in a fog. I am hoping that my sister comes back to Wisconsin with me for the funeral, but if she doesn't Kathy will go. Usually I am the strong one, but today I feel tired of being strong. I will miss you Grandma, hug dad for me til I get there.
Schnibbles Short Story (the last of my A Year of Schnibbles Quilts) is a flimsy. I like it much better with the border...brighter...mine is larger than the pattern since I didn't trim, but it is all good. The fabric is fruitcake. The last parade will be September 1st. It has been a lot of fun!
And this little hexagon quilt is the second quilt I promised to tell you about that relates to Gma Nan. Some of you may remember the story when I helped her move into her apartment and she gave me the Broken Star quilt a few years ago...this was the other quilt she had which she wasn't ready to give up. My family decided that since I am the quilter I should have it....I am over the moon with this. I wish I knew who the maker was but all I know is my great grandma Annan had it handsewed and handquilted and my uncle Lewis used it as a baby..and most likely Jim and my dad Allen after. Then their mother died and Annan took it for safekeeping. After Grandma Nan married in and started raising the three boys she and Gpa Len had another son, Rick...Annan returned the quilt to Nan and Rick used it too. Many babies used the quilt (most likely me too) since it was a good size for babies but for the past 25 or so years it has mostly been in Gma Nan's dresser---waiting for me. I feel so tied to the people of the past and this quilt and the other one make me smile and tear up at the same time. .JPG)
