Creating Hangings from Old Quilt Squares

When we found several old quilt squares midst my mother’s memorabilia after her death, my daughter and I wondered how to share them with my sister, her daughter and daughter-in-law…in other words, the other gals in the family. We weren’t sure who had made them. In all likelihood, it was one of the Trails End Quilters.

My mother grew up at Trails End Farm and her mother introduced me to quiltmaking when I was eight years old. I knew my mom hadn’t made the squares, so it must have been someone in her family since they were among other items she’d received after her mother’s death.

There weren’t many of these hand stitched quilt squares. If we made a quilt or hanging of them, only one person could enjoy it. My daughter suggested she add a border around each and put them in frames.

This is what we did. Now each female in the family has a bit of Trails End quilting in her home.

There are other ways we could have finished these bits of memorabilia ,and they can always be taken from the frame for the owner to create something else. For instance, they could become the centerpiece of a hanging, by adding more borders and other patchwork around it. A quilter could find older fabrics and make other blocks using the same pattern, then use the original as the center block of the quilt.

Or she could make a pillow of the square, a tote bag, a piece of clothing. We preferred, to place the squares in something to hang on the wall so they’d have longer life.

What have you done with your family quilting and memorabilia so the handiwork of previous generations isn’t forgotten?

©2005 Mary Emma Allen

(If you have questions or information to share, e-mail me. )

Quilts for Disasters, the 1860s & Now

As I’ve researched my children’s book, Papa’s Gone to War, concerning the Civil War era, I discovered that women then, as they do now, made quilts during times of disaster. Quilters are responding to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina by providing quilts for those who need bed coverings, especially for children who might be comforted by their own “blankie” when all around them is new and strange, or wrought with destruction.

During the Civil War, women made various items for the soldiers away from home. Among these were quilts the soldiers carried in their bed roll. Chief among the organizations collecting quilts and distributing them to soldiers on the battlefield and in hospitals was the United States Sanitary Commission.

The Commission coordinated many of the clothing and bedding collection activities. This organization was begun in New York City at Cooper Union or Cooper Institute. Their Soldiers Relief Circles met throughout the Union, generally once a week, from 1 to 4 P.M. The ladies also did more work at home.

(In my book, Mandy, her grandmother, aunt, and several other ladies got together to work on quilts for their menfolk. A scene in my book takes place at a quilting/sewing session. I even may include a pattern in the book for youngsters to sew, as Mandy did.)

Were my Trails End ancestors among the ladies who met weekly and stitched clothing and quilts for the men fighting to hold the Union together? I've not come across any factual data about this, but it seems likely they did participate in this way. I do know that some of the men in the neighborhood fought in the war.

When you make quilts for use and commemoration (some groups raffle quilts to raise money for disaster victims) during times of trouble, you’re part of a long line of quilters who respond to help those in need by using their needlework skills.

©2005