She placed the bowl down on the table and asked my sister-in-law and I to pick one of the folded pieces of paper. The paper I selected had the word "quilt" written on it. My sister-in-law got the one with the word "bedspread". My mother-in-law explained that these two items had been put away years ago and never used them so she gave them to us.
To say the quilt is beautiful is an understatement. It was made by my mother-in-law's grandmother and given to her when she was young. Fortunately, my mother-in-law never really used the quilt and tucked it away. Even now, 24 years older the quilt is in perfect shape.
The pattern is called Flower Garden and no two flowers are the same. The flowers and the white background are made of individually cut and hand sewn octagons. It was then hand quilted.
There must be a thousand or more pieces. I can't imagine how many hours my husband's great-grandmother spent working on this quilt to give it to her granddaughter. What a wonderful loving gift to her then and to us on that Thanksgiving night 24 years ago.
I love these items that are passed down from generation to generation. Some day when my daughter has a home of her own, I will pass this family heirloom to her, maybe as we finish up a Thanksgiving dinner.
How about you? What family heirlooms have been passed down to you or are you starting one to pass along to someone in your family? If so, I would love to know your story!
Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
JD
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