A Little About Me:
Thirty years and a few hundred months ago 
, my first project was a shaving pouch I made as a gift for my father for Father's Day. It had several pockets and folded over so that he could keep it in the drawer. It wasn't perfect but he made me think it was. I was seven, I believed him.
, my first project was a shaving pouch I made as a gift for my father for Father's Day. It had several pockets and folded over so that he could keep it in the drawer. It wasn't perfect but he made me think it was. I was seven, I believed him. My knowledge of quilts comes from my great grandmother, Mama Rena, grandmother, Mama Cora and my mother, Queen. Most of our quilts were hand pieced small, medium or block size squares from wool coats or other clothing. A few quilts were made with colorful squares. Some were hand tied or stitched with knots like today's french knots. Rectangles were mostly used for the borders which usually meant that the old coat or clothing it came from was a large size or a full skirt. Some quilts had some needle work and others were randomly pieced together like crazy quilt patterns. They were called scrap quilts back then and as the story goes they served the purpose for which they were made very well. The last one I remember was made of wool and cotton rectanges and squares. It was so full of holes that, except for the stringy guaze-like lining that would catch between my toes, I could put my foot through some of them. Mysteriously the cotton was never all over the bed because of that lining, just a few little clumps of raw cotton with dry seeds in it.
It was Mama Cora who ignited the quilter bee in me around 1975. She would hand cut, hand piece and hand quilt all of her work. Soon I was cutting squares and patterns following her directions. The feel of the quilted cloth and quilt-land dreams would prompt an idea for my next quilt. I'd keep paper and pen at the ready day and night. I incorporated hand applique and perfected the straight stitch that my mother taught me. I started out by making a full/queen size crayon quilt. I have no ideal where that quilt is now. So beautiful. It was my second large quilt that turned out to be, let me say, a mess. We used it as the park blanket. Then it was on to crib size quilts for the youngest child or newest grandbaby of my brothers and sisters. Then cousins got on the list. I created a monster! There were so many I had to halt it. I am the fifth child of eleven with counsins in families (married families) with as many as seventeen children. Whew! .
During my childhood large families were common and celebrated.
My daughter, Donnella made five hand stitched and tied quilts all within her second year of learning to quilt. Three hand stitched flag quilts and two multi-colored corduroy patch quilts embellished with lots of colorful buttons of all sizes and she hand tied them with cotton yarn. All of her works are full size. Hasn't picked up a needle since. She saves pieces of cloth she likes so when she wants to sew again she will and that's good. My children are adults now and as the years flow by hand quilting continues to be my choice.
I must mention my Aunt Liz who has some of the most beautiful quilts I've seen and encouraged me to pursue my quilter's passion by allowing me to hand stitch some of her tops and her referral lead to my first commission. After Mama Cora passed , Aunt Liz and Uncle Jimmy (my mother's brother) let me choose one of her old quilts. You must understand this one thing I think we're missing about knots showing on the top of some, not all, quilts. Mama Cora made quilts with the knots on the top. You should see it. It is not unattractive but quite the opposite. No other words less than beautiful would do. The feel of it and the look surpasses most magazine quilts.
Beautiful, heirloom and modern art. These words describe this quilt.
Thanks Aunt Liz and Uncle Jimmy!
Over the last year I've been trying my hand at acrylic paints, cardboard and paper mache. I call it Urban Green Art. You are welcomed to take a look at it. My e-mail address is on this site. Thanks for visiting and Be Blessed.
Ruth E.
bravenet.com