I haven’t had the concentration for quilting lately. The last of my father’s sibling, my Aunt G recently passed away. Although we lived hundreds of miles apart we talked weekly by phone.
Here I am "back in the day", as the kids would say between my mom and my Aunt. G is on the right. When my cousin asked if there was anything I wanted from the house, two things came to mind immediately ….. Surprise Surprise they were both of fabric.
The little pink shawl was made for my great grandmother by her mother who was born in Sicily in 1840. My great grandmother passed it on to her granddaughter G sometime around 1937. G remembers her grandmother telling her to wear it because G was always “fredda” (cold). My Aunt kept it all those years, telling me about it often, and showing it to me whenever I’d visit NJ. The other thing I wanted was a crocheted bedspread.
We only had a small window of time after the funeral and it was hard to search for it, just being in the house for the last time was overwhelming. Anyway I came away with only a few mass cards that where by her bed .
When I got back to Illinois another cousin called telling me he had searched the attic and was sending the two items. When the package arrived, I recognized the shawl, but the bedspread I had never seen before. He remembers Grandma saying we would be the 9th generation to own it. The tradition was for it to be passed from Mother to oldest daughter and since my Aunt had no children, and I being the oldest niece it was to go to me.
I am so puzzled by that. By the way, don’t make fun of "Billy Mayes Here", because Oxiclean really does work. Can anyone solve this mystery?
It’s heavy, tightly woven, and stiff. My mom had chenille bedspreads in the 1950’s but this is nothing like that. It consists of three panels 27” by 105” hand sewn together to measures 81 x 105.
Anyone out there know of this technique?
Is it early chenille? Thanks for listening.
I hope to get back to sewing real soon.
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