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Saturday
Feb092008
Quilting with Grandma
February 9, 2008
Last night I started piecing YaYa's quilt. (Do you like how I wrote piecing, like a real quilter? Pretty snazzy.)
I couldn't help thinking of my Grandma, while my machine hummed away. I think she gave me my sewing machine when I was about thirteen? Fourteen?. My grandparents owned a fabric and notions shop for most of my life, and to this day, the smell, when I walk into a yarn shop or a fabric store, the smell conjures my strong and creative grandma.
It was quiet, last night, since everyone was gone. I got a lot done, for me, for the first time I've tried this in, let's see- fourteen years. I could see my Grandma, sitting at her machine, talking through a mouth full of pins. She always holds her pins between her lips while she sews, and if you think it's hard to understand someone who is brushing their teeth and talking, you should try interpreting for someone who's trying not to be stabbed in the lip with a pin.
I pinned and sewed and cut and ironed. I could smell their house, feel the coolness of the basement, that summer when Grandma decided to help my sister and I put together log cabin quilts. It gets hot in Edmonton in the summer, and her basement with the cool air and our lemony iced tea was a good place to be.
It seemed magic to me, then, following the instructions to pin this piece to that piece, and sew this to that, and then you iron it and there before your eyes is a quilt piece, built like a log cabin, turning around itself.  It still seems like magic.
One of the worst things about my Grandma being sick is that she can no longer sew, like she has all her life. Last night I thought, maybe I can show her my quilt as it progresses, across all these miles. So, I'm going to show Grandma my quilt as I make it. I emailed her these two photos today, and I almost can't wait to send her more.
I couldn't help thinking of my Grandma, while my machine hummed away. I think she gave me my sewing machine when I was about thirteen? Fourteen?. My grandparents owned a fabric and notions shop for most of my life, and to this day, the smell, when I walk into a yarn shop or a fabric store, the smell conjures my strong and creative grandma.
It was quiet, last night, since everyone was gone. I got a lot done, for me, for the first time I've tried this in, let's see- fourteen years. I could see my Grandma, sitting at her machine, talking through a mouth full of pins. She always holds her pins between her lips while she sews, and if you think it's hard to understand someone who is brushing their teeth and talking, you should try interpreting for someone who's trying not to be stabbed in the lip with a pin.
I pinned and sewed and cut and ironed. I could smell their house, feel the coolness of the basement, that summer when Grandma decided to help my sister and I put together log cabin quilts. It gets hot in Edmonton in the summer, and her basement with the cool air and our lemony iced tea was a good place to be.
It seemed magic to me, then, following the instructions to pin this piece to that piece, and sew this to that, and then you iron it and there before your eyes is a quilt piece, built like a log cabin, turning around itself.  It still seems like magic.
One of the worst things about my Grandma being sick is that she can no longer sew, like she has all her life. Last night I thought, maybe I can show her my quilt as it progresses, across all these miles. So, I'm going to show Grandma my quilt as I make it. I emailed her these two photos today, and I almost can't wait to send her more.
in Craftiness
Craftiness 
Reader Comments (11)
It's beautiful, and I can't wait to see more too! I'm in the pro-cess (say it like a Canadian please!) of sewing one for our baby. You are truly turning into the domestic queen!
It is looking beautiful.
And here I was all along thinking piecing was some wonderful topping for your favorite pie. I like pie.
OH, I love those fabrics.
And the idea of sharing with your grandma.
I've not made a quilt in... 6 years? But I'm filing away swatches. I decided that all of those pretty little embroidered bits on the Girls clothes, you know the kind? I hate throwing them away when she wears the clothes out or stains them too hopelessly to keep or pass on, and I decided to cut out all of the pretty details from those clothes and someday use them as appliques on a girly crazy quilt. In many years from now.
Lovely memories of your dear grandmother. I'm sure she'll love watching the quilt come together. I hope you post pictures of the finished masterpiece.
ooh la la, very lovely,
your art and love know no bounds:)
that will be one cozy warm and adorning quilt when it's done!
It's coming together nicely. Grandma will be so pleased to see that you are sewing. You are a lovely thoughtful woman sending her photos of it as you go. Ya Ya will love it.
What ever happened to those log cabin quilts?
I remember the pins in the mouth thing as well, and I always felt in awe that someone could actually talk that way - and yes she was totally not understandable.
Your Grandma sounds like a lovely lady- so sad when people you love can't do the things that they love. I'm guessing she'll be pleased to see the photos of this project, though...which promises to be quite beautiful when completed. It's easy to imagine any girly-girl falling in love with that quilt instantly- much less a girl who watched her mama build it from scratch! Can't wait to see how it all turns out. Yaya's got quite a mama, I'm thinkin', and will someday look back at her early days when you sewed such a wonderful heirloom just for her.
wow...how brave of you! i am looking forward to seeing the "coing togetherness" of it all.
i really LOVE those colors and patterns.
The colours and patterns you've chosen are beautiful, and reading about your Grandmother and your memories of her brought tears to my eyes. When my mom got sick, one of the hardest things for her was not being able to play the piano the way she once could, and I always wished I could play it for her so she could sit back, close her eyes and listen...but I couldn't play.
I'll bet your Grandmother will love seeing pictures of your quilt, of her talents passed down to you.