If you aren't familiar with Pat Sloan, she is a popular and prolific quilter who hosts many sew alongs at her website,
I Love to Make Quilts.
I have been part of Pat's active Facebook community,
Quilt Along with Pat Sloan, for several years. The quilters there are supportive and talented. I didn't jump into social quilting until less year, so while I admired the progress others made on Pat's sew alongs, I wasn't a participant until I saw her write about her upcoming
Grandma's Kitchen quilt.
My
Gramma Ann passed away in 2014 When my family was packing up her things, I requested some of her clothes so that I could make a quilt with them. I had only been quilting for a year at that point. I wasn't confident enough yet to cut up her clothes out of fear of making a mistake. So I put them in a tote while I waited for inspiration.
Nearly a year ago to the day, Pat posted the first block of Grandma's kitchen, called
"The Kitchen Table." Just seeing the name, I was transported to Grandma's kitchen in tiny Blackduck, Minnesota. I thought her cupboards were so cool because the doors were flat panels that opened only when you pushed them. I spent many hours entertaining myself by opening and closing those cupboards.
I knew then that this sew along was just the inspiration I needed. I decided from the start that my quilt would be all about Gramma's life, in and out of the kitchen. You can
read about the entire process here. My mom and aunts were very excited about the quilt and talked about who should get it...so...I made six of them!
After finishing each block, I would post it to a link up on Pat's website and/or share the block and its story on Pat's FB page. A few times, Pat herself would comment on the post! And then she contacted me privately after seeing all six quilts, and asked if I would be on her show. Of course, I said, "YES!"
Finally, I have to share one last thing about this project. My mom and aunt were so grateful for their quilts and send me the most wonderful thank you notes and gifts. My aunt Lori, did something really fun! She took all the blog posts I wrote and had them bound up in a book. What a labor of love!
They say the internet is forever, but this is such a thoughtful way to make sure that Gramma's legacy lives on to the next generation(s).
I've so enjoyed re-reading the blog posts again. I wrote them as I went along, without knowing how the quilt would turn out. It is really cool to read them all at once, kind of like binge-watching a favorite show!
I love that she wrapped the book in the blue paper that inspired block "Pantry Goods."
If this is your first time here at de Jong Dream House, especially if you visited after hearing the podcast, WELCOME! This blog started as my husband and I build our dream ultra energy-efficient, universally-designed dream house. After moving in, I posted about organizing and green living. Once I discovered quilting in 2013, my blog started featuring more and more quilts. And that's mostly what you see today.
