The last time we were in Kansas, we spent the entire week trying to clean out Mike's parents' things, and ended up having a 4-day garage sale for the sheer volume of items that we had no room for in our house. Sophie manned the checkout line, I tried to keep tables and signs organized, and Mike brought out box after box after box after boxboxbox of things, finding storage areas in his parents' home that none of us knew existed.
Every so often I'd look around the garage to see what new items he had brought out. And that's when I spotted it: a bulging vinyl bag, stashed in with all of the other clothing and candle holders and dog toys. I pulled out the bag and unzipped it, revealing – not one – but THREE very old hand-pieced quilts.
I sputtered and twitched and tried to keep my composure, quite shocked at what I'd found. And even more shocked that Mike had chosen to add that dusty old vinyl bag to the sale without looking inside of it first. When I told my friend Kim about it, she said, "And that's how old quilts end up in garage sales: MEN!"
All three quilts appeared to have some sort of water damage on them, outside of the regular wear and tear. They were all made by Jimmy's (my father in-law) grandmother, who helped raise him after his mother died when Jimmy was three years old.
Here is a photograph of Jimmy's grandparents, Homer and Viola…
And here is Jimmy as a baby…
This next photo makes me smile bc Jimmy's father, James Leonard, is hiding behind his son, trying to make it look like Jimmy was in the chair all by himself. (It makes me smile bc I used to do this with my girls when they were babies.)
The three quilts were actually given to Jimmy by his Grandma Viola, Mike explained to me. This one was my very favorite, bc of the happy colors and pattern…
I'm so happy these were found before they were sold! (I declined to photograph the other two bc of the obvious water damage and tearing.)
I never knew Viola, but I imagine she was a wonderfully sweet lady, and I bet she and I would have gotten along just fine. 🙂
13 Comments
Peggy Lee
Oh Paulette what a find! Such a treasure.
I have a small quilt that was made for my father when he was born. There was an elderly woman in that small town who made one for every baby born there. I wish I knew more about quilting because the center of it where it was folded needs repaired.
joann tx
what a fantastic find! aren’t you glad you looked in that vinyl bag first?
my mom has two quilts that someone on my dad’s side made. i’ve already snapped pics and slapped my name on that box. esp. after i heard my one sister snagged one (the third one) to put on her guest bed. (we won’t go there)
i’ve had my twin sized quilt my grand ma made. she made all the grandkids one. i finally pulled it off the wooden quilt rack and decided to start using it, even if its as a throw. because we all know we don’t really need quilts like that here in houston where its eternally HOT! but they sure are pretty to look at!
hope you can get the water stains out and the holes sewn up on the other quilts!!!
look at all those tiny hand stitches!!!
Cari
Oh I am so glad you unzipped the bag and found these treasures. The quilt is beautiful. Thanks for sharing the family pics too. This is once again a treasured post…. 🙂
Catherine
Thank goodness you decided to look inside that bag!! What a beautiful treasure!
Robin Hager
What a treasure, Paulette! The quilts that are in the worst shape could be cut up and pillows made out of them. A very talented designer that we know…wink wink… could probably do a cross stitch design to maybe sew onto the pillows as a remembrance of Viola and her handwork, and given to the three beautiful girls in the house. What a wonderful way to remember a precious grandmother!
littlebit
Oh my gosh, I don’t know whether I am more fascinated with Jimmy’s quilt or his grandparents’ picture! I want to see them for real next time I’m over! What heirlooms! All kids should have quilts from their grandmothers. 🙂
connie
What wonderful treasures you found. Viola looks like a wonderful woman. I’m sure she is looking down and saying thank you for saving those quilts. What a wonderful story. The one with the Grandfather behind the chair made me giggle. I used to do that to. Thanks for sharing.
Margaret
OMG!!! Thank goodness you found the quilts before they were sold! What a wonderful heritage to have in your family. Beautiful! Men — hmph!
Kim
Lovely lovely lovely!! Love the faded condition and the shirtings! I’m just sure the water stained ones can be saved and/or loved in their present condition too!
Linda
Oh, Paulette, what a treasure you found! When I shared your story with my DH his comment was, “Boy, did that poor guy dodge a bullet! Of course stuff like that is always the man’s fault!”
I recently had to clean out my parents home where they had lived for over 50 years. Oh my. I know what you’re going through. It is easy when you get so tired of looking at all the junk and “treasures” we all seem to collect over a lifetime, to miss a true treasure and let it slip away. Glad you grabed those quilts before they were lost and were someone’s huge “find” of the day!
BTW, Grandma Viola appears in your Sabria’s eyes I do believe. The shape of her face is simaliar too. Can you see it?
Linda in CO
Lynne Herzberg
How wonderful !! If you can not salvage the remaining quilts, my mother in law made teddy bears out of a couple of her old ones and gave each of her children and grandchildren a bear to remember her by.
Nancy
I’m so glad you were able to rescue the quilts! Water damage, wear and tear, I think all those things add even more charm to antique/vintage items, and to me it shows they were loved.
I love the old photographs!
Wendy
Awesome quilts and great story! I really appreciated seeing Viola’s pictures too.