The most treasured heirloom in my family was made with love, by hand, and embodies family history. It was a gift to my mother and in this season of gift-giving, I wanted to tell its story.

On the occasion of my mother’s wedding, she received a quilt from her grandmother. This seamstress had created one for each of her grandchildren as they embarked on married life. It was a practical, much appreciated, and well-used gift for poor newlyweds. I remember it gracing our guest bed, years later, as I was growing up; the bed was frequently covered in piles of clean laundry, ironing or mending since the guest room was also Mom’s sewing room, but the patchwork star shone through. The quilt was always there, familiar, part of the background of our lives. It wasn’t until I was grown that I thought to ask about it in detail.

My great-grandmother recycled fabric scraps into quilts and the family children (my mom included) were often occupied with cutting cloth diamonds. This tradition was passed to her daughter, my grandmother, who was also a seamstress. I remember cutting diamonds for her. The diamonds were then assembled into a large star, each concentric row a different colour. My great-grandmother’s quilt incorporated scraps from a dress Mom made before she married. I feel a personal connection to the quilt because Mom’s dress was later remodeled by my grandmother into a little toddler’s dress for me. I wore the same material as my mom and it is recorded in the quilt.

I admire my great-grandmother’s skill in creating a work of art and a token of love out of mere scraps of mismatched cloth. This project was woven into her daily life on the farm, utilizing quiet moments between other tasks. The quilt symbolizes the skill of sewing that was passed from mother to daughter through the years. I learned to sew in that room with the quilt and I still sew best on my mom’s old machine. The quilt also illustrates that a practical hand-made token with humble beginnings has more meaning and value than expensive store bought gifts (what true use are real diamonds’ you can’t cuddle up with them!). That quilt has stitched four generations of women together in a shining star of love. What better gift could there be?

This article was originally printed in the Bergen News and is being reprinted with permission.

 

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