Grandma's quilt

I had a similar relationship with my great-grandmother who passed just a few years ago at the age of 106. Her mark is left all over my life in things I inherrited from her and lessons she taught me. My sisters and I still laugh about stories she used to tell us and I'm so thankful that so much of her still lives on. I received an afghan from her as my graduation present. Your quilt is very pretty.

My grandmother was very inspiring with her handmade things too, she taught me crochet and many other things. I love having some of her things, it almost feels like she is near. I also understand that ache of missing someone.

My Grammy passed away on the day I went to the hospital to be induced with our daughter who is now 10-months old. She wasn't really a crafty person, but she had a way of making everything around her beautiful. I miss her every day. Thanks for a beautiful post.

Thanks, Renee, a beautiful expression of love to Mom. You've put into words the heart-ache and thankfulness I've been feeling all day.

I loved this post, too, Renee. I have a teapot of my great-grandmother's, and the afghan my grandmother crocheted me when I was 13. Although my grandmother is still here in body, Alzheimers has taken her mind, and she no longer knows any of us.

But this post made me remember very thankfully, that at a tea party for my cousin's birthday a week ago, my aunt brought my grandmother (to give my grandfather a couple hours off from her care), and she sat beside me, and looked at me and smiled her nearly toothless smile, and said "You're one of my babies!" and stroked my hand over and over again. It's hard to see her slip away so gradually, but I am thankful the hands the crocheted that afghan on the end of my bed, can still stroke mine. For a little while longer.

that was a treat to read. thank you for sharing. I don't have very fond memories of my grandmas. they both died at an early age. one lived far away so we only saw each other on holidays. I never even met one grandpa - he died before I was born. my other grandma lived with us for a while. at the end of her life, she grew very mean. I was there to see all of that.

But (a big but) - my great uncle lived with us ever since I can remember. He was born deaf and mute. No one else "wanted" him. so my family took him in. He was very crafty. Even made wood toys. I have very fond memories of him and have some of the things that he made for me many many years ago.

the quilt looks like it was always meant to be there.

This made me think of my grandmother that has passed. She taught me how to crochet and we loved to spend time in her garden together. When I was little she had a doll sized coffee mug which she would pour a bit of coffee in for me and a huge amount of milk. I felt like I was very important drinking coffee with Nana in the mornings. My kids never got to meet their great-grandmother, but I think they feel as if they know her from all of the stories I tell them about her. My Nana used to crochet blankets for us. I know how special that quilt is for you. Enjoy your memories!

thank you so much for your beautiful post/tribute to your grandmother. it especially touched me as we just celebrated my grandmother's birthday this past weekend, even though she has been gone from us for 22 years. every year, on the sunday closest to her birthday, we all (aunts, uncles, cousins, great-grandchildren, and grandpa) get together for brunch or dinner, and make her specialty "mashed potato doughnuts".
she was only 63 when she died, the age my own mom will turn this year. i couldn't possibly imagine losing my mother at such a time, with so much still ahead. i too, feel that sorrow for my grandfather, for his past two decades without her. she was a wonderful woman, crafty, great homestyle cooking, always had room for more at the table, always up for a party, and loved a good yard sale! last summer, gramp finally went through many boxes in the basement, and had us all come over and choose things she had made or collected. it is so nice to have things around that i can pause for a moment, and gaze at or hold in my hand, and know that her hand was on this at some time, and it connects me to her. it helps me remember the fond memories we had together. here's to quilts and teapots and potholders and christmas ornaments, and the wonderful women we love who made them!

What a wonderful post. I can relate, I too have a quilt in storage that I can't bring myself to just put on a bed for fear something will happen to it. And the picture with the handwriting really spoke to me. My grandma passed away when I was in high school and several months ago I happened to find a card she had given me for a birthday. It brought tears to my eyes to see her handwriting again after all those years. It's funny what can bring memories rushing back.

oh, renee, what a touching post. what a gorgeous gift and a lovely way to display it. so timely for me, as both my elderly grandmothers are having health crises that, well, i just know we need to be prepared.... nicola http://whichname.blogspot.com

thank you so much for sharing this renee. it is just beautiuful.

a Beautiful expression of love....both the quilt and the sharing of this page in your life. I have many memories with both of my grandmothers. Both women very different from the other. My mother's mother passed away a few years back ~ she was more what I consider best described as a "traditional" grandmother. She was crafty, loved to spend time "mothering" us all. She had a candy jar always full of Hershey Kisses, and the rule was: 'A Kiss for a kiss'. She was also known as the 'pie lady'....for which I was the grandchild who had that role/title passed down to, once she passed away. I do not always have the time for many pies....but for most holiday gatherings, I am the "pie lady" and I bring the pie. My grandfather is also VERY lonely since her passing, and although he is a healthy but wobbly 86 yr old grandpa, He verbally expresses that he wishes he could just be with Lucille ~ He's ready to go. My other grandmother, my father's mother....she is, well, and I say this in love & good humor ~ She can be down right ornery. She is a woman who says it like it is....whether it's what you want to hear or not and she is NOT flowery in her presentation of the point. Colorful, maybe. LOL She now has Alzheimers and doesn't usually recognize anyone. She is also in Florida, near my dad & aunt, so we don't have opportunity to see her much at all. She always traveled with her dog ~ a full size poodle whom she taught to 'sing' on demand. She wore a 2 piece bathing suit for much of my childhood (when that was just so riskae`), she died her hair red, among other colors, but dark red is the color I remember the most. She had a red convertible as well. She had all kinds of made-up funny 'sing-song replies' for lots of life's little things. I love them both. It's a wonderful thing to pass on stories and love from generation to generation ~ Women to women, mother to daughter, mother to mother, sister to sister & friend to friend. Thank you for Stirring Old memories, like sugar that had settled to the bottom of my glass.

thanks, Renee - altho I thot of Mom/Grandma a lot yesterday, the tears didn't flow until I read your blog and the memories and blessings of her life resurfaced as I relived them . . . she was truly a special, integral part of our lives, one we'll never forget!!!

Oh Renee! ((((hugs)))) I'm sorry for your loss. You have a rarity there, in her handmade quilt. She lovingly fit it together with her hands that patted and loved on you. She probably pricked her finger, leaving a little bit of her inside the stitches. You can wrap yourself in it and almost be in her arms. What a wonderful memory. I hope the quilt continues to bless you and your family. You can use it to tell your own kids the special stories of such a special lady.

Wow the memories come flooding back of the times we visited your grandparents. The warmth of welcome the ever ready pot of tea the homemade cookies, strawberry picking, her laugh, her twinkling eyes, her hustle and bustle, sitting in her garden,her joy at taking us to meet her relations,the adventures we had trying to remember which turn to the right we should have taken when visiting Nan! Thank you for prompting such memories especially when they are all so happy ones. Bless you

sweet. i have a few little things of my grannys and a few things from my grandma, mostly made for my girls, though. i recently got rid of an old radio that used to belong to my grandpa...it was big and taking up a lot of space and it was hard but i decided to just let it go. it was really freeing actually. i can get rid of "things" but no-one can ever take his memory from me. if it had been handmade now...no way would i have parted with it!

I read this yesterday but my computer was being cranky and wouldn't let me comment. This is exceptionally bittersweet for me right now because my Nana is currently in the hospital undergoing surgery. She is an amazing woman and my feelings for her very much mirror your own for your grandma. My husband and I have become very close with her and my Papa in our adult years and Nana and Papa have been a continual source of inspiration and love. You are lucky to have had such a relationship and to have such wonderful handmades to cherish.

This was such a sweet tribute to Grandma, Renee. I still have a hard time imagining Grandpa without Grandma right by his side... organizing him, making him smile, and just doting on him with the little thoughtful things she did every day. I think of her often, and still enjoy my handmade quilt from her, too! Her life lives on in our memories and hearts. Always.