A Week of Treasures: Patchwork

According to this book, patchwork is a practical and creative craft. Whew! I'm so glad they cleared that up. ;)

I really, really love patchwork. It's so comforting and beautiful. I love that a patchwork quilt can be substantial enough to be warm and snuggly and still light enough for a summer night.

I recently found (thrifted ~ oooh, I said it! I thrifted!) this quilt, which is quite large, and completely hand-pieced and hand-quilted.   

The fabrics are all so soft and so pretty ... and so old, too, I believe. The pattern is so pretty ~ I don't know a whole lot about patchwork designs, but this one looks really cool to me!

I love the character of this quilt ~ so much so that I keep wanting to refer to it as "her" instead of "it." Who knows where "she's" been before now? Or how that fabric "lived" before it became this quilt? Maybe it was brand-new, or maybe it had another use before. I like to imagine that each piece of fabric had special meaning to the maker of the quilt. (I know, a very romantic notion and probably not practical! But I can always daydream!)

"She" has already accompanied our little family on picnics (indoors and out), has been the "stage" for many of Elisabeth's performances, and provided a cozy cover-up for stargazing, and that's just the beginning of her life with us, I'm sure! I foresee summer concerts, fireworks on the 4th of July, and snuggling by the fire as the weather grows chill. Oh, and perhaps a coverlet on the bed?