Mother must have been very, very busy the summer of 1961. She had three grandchildren all due the end of September, beginning of October. She made two baby quilts for me, and I think probably did the same for Carol, because Cindy would also have been her first. It's possible she had made a quilt in the 50s used by grandchildren Julie and David.
One quilt was embroidered squares, pieced with a border fabric, and then hand quilted. It is packed away with the other baby items and I don't have access to it. However, here is the pattern, which I still have--or is it?
Here's how it looks with a baby boy, in 1969, but it doesn't seem to match the little animals on the Simplicity envelope.
So I go back to the pattern drawer and pull it out for a second look. Inside that pattern envelope, I find this pattern group.
This cross stitch pattern for 9 inch squares and 3 inch strips between the rows of blocks to make a 37 x 51 baby quilt seems to match mine. But the pattern looks much older than 1961, perhaps from the 1940s. It is an Aunt Martha's Numo Hot Iron Transfer C8539 in a brown precancel envelope.
The Aunt Martha cross stitch transfers are on regular paper, not tissue, and some have become brittle--although if they are over 60 years old, they're in better shape than I am. Most of the Simplicity transfers have been used, but with a pencil and piece of carbon paper. It's possible they were used on bibs and pockets or little dresses. It's a mystery I'll never solve because Mom, the busy stitcher, died in 2000.
1 comment:
The teacher next to me makes similar quilts for every teacher in our school who has a baby. Really neat. I don't know how she does it with her arthritis.
I am amazed at how we save things from the past. I know another that collects sheet music.
Cathy
Post a Comment