Sunday, June 10, 2007

Cunningham Family Quilt

This is my grandmother, Verla Pearl Ogden Cunningham with her Cunningham family quilt. This project was one that I put together about 20 years ago. I wanted a family quilt and decided it would be fun for my aunts and cousins to have each have one as well. So I ask each female in the family to make a quilt block for everyone else. We brought them together at one of our annual family Thanksgiving dinners and traded them. Each person got to choose ahead of time what color scheme they wanted used for their blocks. I choose Americana red and blue for mine. This photo is of the quilt my grandmother made using the blocks we all made. My block is the fan design in the center. My mother's is the blue one to the right of mine, where the black cross is in the bottom corner.
Would you believe I have still not put mine together? This is because some of the blocks were not quite squared and needed to be remade or some people did not use the red and blue theme for me and theirs did not at all fit into my colors. So tried as they might, some people are not quilt makers. You can also see that the nine patch was a favorite amongst family members, I guess this is because my grandmother used this pattern alot and it was familiar to them.
I am the fortunate one to have gotten this quilt handed down to me when my grandmother passed away. I did request it as well as any other quilts she had made that I could get my hands on, which was only a small portion of them. But I treasure these few and take very good care of them.
Wish had that bucket hanging on the line that grandma used for clothes pins. After she had been moved to a nursing home her house had to be closed up for a time with her belongings distributed. Some of my aunts and cousins were there to go through stuff, but I do not think any of them had my tastes for old junk and it probably got thrown out.
My grandmother made many quilts over the years for missionaries all over the world. Her legacy lives on in places unknown. But I know these missionaries must have been kept warm under my grandmother's quilts.
Did you see that she has her slippers on her feet? She pointed this out, but I did not care if she had them on in the photos. I took a photo of each of the quilts she still had in her possession at this time. So glad I did this when I did.
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2 comments:

Beemoosie said...

What an incredible idea!! I don't think I have enough people in the family that would even attempt only block!!! But that is down right gorgeous and your grandmother looked like a cutie!!! Now, instead of slippers, my grandma would have flipflops and knit slacks on!!!
:) blessings!

Tina Leavy said...

wow, what a beautiful idea! so very nice.