Saturday, November 17, 2012


today is my grandmother's birthday.  sometimes i feel alot like her.  she has been gone 15 years.  she was strong and gentle.  and somehow always had peppermints with her.  i think of her every day.  it's hard not to feel her presence while i make quilts.  she was a quilt maker too.  but not as a leisure activity. she hand sewed scraps together into cozy quilts to keep her family warm on their gusty prince edward island farm.  there was no plumbing or electricity until the 50's and by then most of her children were grown.  she made quilts all her life to pile on their beds.  i can't help but think of that as i work. i have a quilt she made for me when i was 14.  it's always in the studio with me.  i can see her hand in each stitch. the love around that quilt is palpable. i'm sure some of the scraps come from clothing she wore when my father was a boy.  
today she would have been 107.  and how i miss her.   

10 comments:

  1. what a lovely tribute to your grandma! I'm sure she is smiling down on you today.

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  2. She sounds like a wonderful grandmother who had great love for her family. Think about how hard that must have been for her with all the other things she had to complete. Times were hard back then and so many times I am reminded of how easy we have it now from buying bread instead of having to make it everyday to cooking on a wood burning stove instead of an electric one. I really don't know how they got it all done!

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    1. i wonder about that all the time kris. where did they get the energy to do so much and to do it day in and day out!

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  3. You have given me such a vivid image of your grandmother, and all those quilts keeping her family warm! So powerful.

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    1. i'm glad i shared even just a tiny part of her with you, jen. xoxo

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  4. She would be so proud.... Of the Joy and comfort you provide. Much like she did. What a tribute Nettie, to your grannie.
    Xo

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    1. she would sit and tell me stories while i worked, if she was still around.

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  5. Hello my dearest!

    There is no love like the love one gets from a grandmohher....
    I miss mine too. And it really makes me happy to see the love between my kids and my mom being so strong and tender, although they don't see eachother as often.

    I hope you are having a good week : )

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    1. it's a busy and a little stressful week, sweet demie. but i'm getting through. grandmothers are magical. and i bet your mother is a great one!!

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