Way back in 1974, when I was 20 and my Grandma Ikey was 90, I was getting married. Grandma Ikey had two Nine-Patch quilt tops that she had made several years before and tucked away. One was supposed to be for my brother when he got married, and the other for my cousin Jim when he got married–her two grandsons. However, I was the first to get married, so Grandma gave one to me as a wedding gift.
This quilt became very special to me, because my other grandma, my Grandma Kennedy, and the members of her Ladies Aid Society, did the quilting on it. I slept under this quilt for years, had it dry cleaned a few time–I didn’t know any better–and have always treasured it. My brother did get the other one, also finished by the Ladies Aid, and his is in pristine condition.
I always said that someday I’d be a quilter. About 1993, I got a free quilt pattern in the mail. It was from Oxmoor House and was for a Grandmother’s Flower Garden. I thought, “I should make this. And I should make it king sized so it will fit my bed!” Ah, ignorance was bliss! I also remembered that my mom had given me some old fabric and blocks from my Grandma Ikey after she passed away, and that among them were some Flower Garden blocks. Amazingly, I opened a drawer in my storage room, and there they were–16 Flower Garden blocks, or at least the components to make them. I knew I wanted to use them in my first quilt! It took me 2-1/2 years, but I finished that king sized top.
As I was working with the blocks that Grandma Ikey had made (I had to take them apart and re-cut them as they were a different size than my pattern) I began to think that some of the fabrics looked familiar. I was pretty sure they were the same as some in my Nine-Patch. So, I got it out and started to compare. Sure enough, there were some duplicates! Like this yellow and green flower print.
There was also this cute little blue flower.
You can see it’s more faded in the Nine-Patch.
Sometimes there were only enough hexagons for a half block, but that worked great for the edges of the Flower Garden.
Well yesterday, Bob and I and my parents visited our cousin Betty, whom we rarely see.
She had two quilts that our Grandma Ikey had made! This star quilt.
And this fan quilt!
I was thrilled to see them, but even more excited when I started recognizing some old friends among the prints! The white daisies on this pink background really speaks to me–I’ve always loved daisies. Here it is in Betty’s star quilt….
…and in my Nine-Patch quilt…..
…and in my Flower Garden quilt!
This very abstract blue print was in one of the stars…
…and in my Nine-Patch.
The other print in this star was also familiar.
It’s not only in my Nine-Patch….
…Grandma Ikey made my baby doll a dress from this print!
And here it appears with a blue paisley…
…which is also in my Nine-Patch.
This fan blade had lots of matches to my quilts. The center blade with the little Lemoyne Stars print….
…made its way into my Nine-Patch, although it’s much more faded here.
And the dark brown with the aqua flowers….
…is REALLY faded in my quilt.
Did you notice the little tulip print in the above block? It turns out Dolly has a dress made from that print, too! I love her rick rack!
INSERTED 8/3 My sister emailed me last night. She had gotten her dolls out to check out their dresses, and here’s what she found–and said.
Here are Chatty Baby and Chatty Cathy all decked out in their tulip dresses. Please note that my dolls can stand up by themselves, because they are not missing any legs. Chatty Baby is upset, because she can’t find her scarf. (I suspect the reason Chatty Cathy is looking away from Baby is because Cathy lost her own scarf and stole Baby’s.)
Then this morning Sally emailed me this….Chatty Cathy has a headache this morning from wearing the scarf too tight. Serves her right, I think.
How do you like the blue gingham sundresses?
I love the pink gingham — wide rick-rack for Cathy and narrow rick-rack for Baby.
Does the white fabric with yellow roses look familiar, SW?
As a matter of fact, it does. It’s in my Flower Garden quilt! Thanks, Sally, for sharing!
The dainty blue flowers, next to the bottom blade…
…make an appearance in the Flower Garden quilt.
And the last blade, with it’s wild pink, red and black combination…
…shows up in the Flower Garden quilt. I think Dolly had a dress from this, too, but I don’t seem to have it. Maybe my sister does.
And one of my favorite prints, which I remember is in my brother’s quilt too, is the gray and red one.
It’s in both of my quilts….
…and Betty’s fan quilt.
It’s amazing the connections among these four quilts–five if you count my brother’s.
Yesterday my mom told me that Grandma Ikey once said that when she and her niece, Elsie (who was two years older, but that’s another story) would buy fabric for a project, before they even cut into it, they were planning what they’d make from the scraps! Spoken like a true quilter.
And I have one more quilt to show you that’s from Grandma Ikey. This is the crib quilt she made when my brother was born, and that Mom used on all three of us kids.
25 Responses
August 2nd, 2010 at 3:40 pm
So wonderful and charming! Thanks for sharing.
August 2nd, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Beautiful Karen! Beautiful story and quilts. Thanks so much for sharing this! You have a wonderful eye for detail. <3
August 2nd, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Wow Karen those are neat. She must have had a lot of scraps to spread them over that many quilts and your Dolly Too.
Robin
August 2nd, 2010 at 4:15 pm
I loved seeing your quilts. I have a few quilts my grandma made and love them.
August 2nd, 2010 at 4:18 pm
That is so cool that everyone still has their quilts. Hope the next generation also keeps them in good shape and on and on and on. Did Dolly have a leg amputated at some point in her life? Poor dolly!!!!
August 2nd, 2010 at 4:19 pm
And oh, by the way…..do I hear reproduction of some new prints coming along sometime?
August 2nd, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Wow, Karen, your quilt connections are so cool! Love your dolly too.
August 2nd, 2010 at 5:36 pm
These pictures brought tears to my eyes. I can’t believe Betty has two such beautiful quilts made by our grandma.
I may not have a quilt she made, but Chatty Cathy and Chatty Baby have coordinating dresses in the tulip fabric as well as the blue gingham I saw in Betty’s fan quilt.
My dolls are in pristine condition with all their limbs intact!
August 2nd, 2010 at 7:17 pm
I love this “show and tell”!!! Beautiful work and great stories. I also have a Flower Garden quilt made my mother in early 20′s. It has been used and unfortunately abused over the years. I think I can salvage some of it and incorporate in a new quilt. She lived with me for 6 years and I will put it on the bed she used. I hope it turns out — someday. Your story is encouraging. Thank you!!!
August 2nd, 2010 at 9:11 pm
Love the pictures and the comparisons. Sally, I have quilts but I don’t have any doll dresses made by Grandma Ikey. We all need to get together again soon. I have many more questions.
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:25 pm
Barb, I hope you’ll share pictures.
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:26 pm
Yes, Dolly seems to be missing one leg just below the knee!
August 3rd, 2010 at 8:29 am
Karen, I loved seeing all those fabrics used in so many quilts and even doll dresses. People in those days really made the most of what they had. I know my Grandma always had a basket of scraps and I never really thought then what they were for. Quilting was just something she did and it was no big deal. I sure think it is now, when I think about those ladies sitting around that quilting frame for hours.. Thanks for sharing that. Pat
August 3rd, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Love this! Your grandma really knew how to use every last bit of her stash and scraps!
August 4th, 2010 at 11:25 am
I enjoyed your Fabric Stories post. it made me think of my Grandma. She did not quilt, but she did love to sew aprons and house dresses. She also had a great love of rick rack and bias tape. Most of her projects included them one way or another. Another favourite was seam binding, it was used on many a hem. i have a cookie tin with a lot of leftover bits of all three and a cobbler’s apron that she made. I’ve been thinking about using the rick rack and bias for a table runner. Thanks for sharing your fabric stories!!!
August 5th, 2010 at 6:02 am
Love this post – thanks for sharing, and for taking so many pictures. It was fun to see all those different fabrics, and how they were used. You’re so lucky to have kept all those doll clothes and the quilts! I’m sure your grandma would be so pleased.
August 5th, 2010 at 6:52 am
Chatty Cathy and Chatty Baby are thrilled to have their photo on your blog. I’m going to have a hard time getting them back in their plastic bin now that they’ve tasted a bit of fame!
August 5th, 2010 at 7:01 am
Karen,
How wonderful that you have such rich history and you are so gracious to share it with us.
August 5th, 2010 at 11:37 am
Love all the connections. I sometimes get out my old quilts just to bring back some of those wonderful memories. Drove past your place last week. I had to show my husband my dream world.
August 6th, 2010 at 8:17 am
Great story! Loved seeing these vintage quilts and their connections!
August 12th, 2010 at 6:51 am
Fantastic Post!
September 25th, 2010 at 5:10 am
Oh, I love this post! How great that you have these treasures from your grandma. I could spend hours looking at the fabrics, find the duplicates, compare them…old fabrics are so lovely!
Hihi, and the cute doll story. :-)
October 28th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
What a awesome post. .. You are truly blessed. I love you and your sisters personalities what a crack up. The quilts are amazing what treasures to have. Thank you for sharing them.
November 12th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Thanks for sharing so much history! I wonder what they thought about while they made the quilts. I also have the first quilt my grandmother made for my parents when they got married. I know the quilts will be treasures to my daughter one day.
January 16th, 2011 at 11:01 am
I have had the most enjoyable morning looking through your blog. This is such a great story — I love all the connections made by those little fabrics pieces, and you are so lucky to have kept these gems in your family.
It’s so fun to discover a site where you have so much in common with the blogger. In addition to vintage fabric, quilts, and books — one of my sisters is also a Sally!
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