As I look around my living room, I am often reminded of the memories that are behind the quilts I’ve made. . . .

The 9 block setting of the small Dresden plates was made from the scraps my mother saved as she stitched clothing for my sister, me and her. Then there are the buttons from my Grandma Rosse’s button bag which I tacked to the center of each Dresden plate. This quilt also reminds me of the time my mother brought me a box of fabric scraps and a large stack of 4-patch blocks that she had made. Her plans were to make 2 identical quilts, one for my sister and one for me. Since I was headstrong into making quilts, she figured that I would be the one to finish those quilts. Truthfully, I had only made small wall quilts and those were the first BIG bed quilts I had ever pieced or even hand quilted. To this day, I love my mother for giving me the opportunity to stitch those memory quilts. I even had enough extra 4-patch blocks to make my mother a lap size quilt to hang on a quilt shelf in her room. As she aged, those fabrics also brought her many memories, just as they did for me.

Above the fireplace mantel in my living room is the mini quilt I made for the Utah Quilt Festival in 2009. The quilt looks darling with my animal tape measure sewing collectibles and small toy Singer sewing machine. The challenge fabric used was a vintage printing of mother goose nursery rhymes which I accented with three inch 9-patches set on point.


Displayed by the family heirloom clock is a crazy patch mini quilt I won the same year at Quilt Festival. It also uses the same challenge fabric, but made in a completely different quilting pattern. I just love both of those precious quilts!



Then, there is a small quilt made from vintage 1930’s pinwheel blocks I purchased on EBay. This quilt makes me ponder on how the quilt maker must have felt about not being able to finish her quilt. Each block was hand pieced and I sometimes wonder what she would think of what I made with her blocks. I stitched the blocks next to each other in a simple setting with no sashing or borders. I did, however, hand quilt the little quilt. Now, I enjoy this small quilt as it is displayed near my vintage oil lamp and family pictures.

I also have several hand-crank sewing machines around the room, with which I like to display other small quilts I’ve made. The quilts are simple, sometimes using only one or two blocks. Sometimes the blocks came from online quilt group exchanges or even from my closest friends. I’m so glad I finished these quilts. It is the display and use of these quilts that encourage me to reminisce.

So, I hope as you work on your quilts, or complete a few unfinished quilt blocks, that you too can appreciate and enjoy the memories you’ve stitched into your quilts!