Tablecloth Quilts

The quilt that I want to inaugurate this new blog with has to be one made by my mother, Colleen. She is on the left below with her sister Betty.
Cute little thing isn't she?


She is the one who taught me how to sew. She is the one who influenced my constant desire to create.

Here she is with my handsome Dad in 1946.

She was a seamstress "extraordinaire" but she wasn't necessarily a quilter.
She made all my school clothes, my prom dresses, my wedding dress.

When my older sister started high school my mother began making quilts for our trousseau's.
(Do you remember those days?) It was the early 60's and so our quilts were made out of tablecloths. Yes, you read that right, tablecloths. I don't know if it was just a trend here in Utah or if it was far reaching but at all of the wedding receptions I attended in the 60's there was at least one token tablecloth quilt on display along with the sheets, embroidered pillowcases and dish towels, crocheted doilies and hot pads and the other gifts.

To make a tablecloth quilt you got a printed cotton tablecloth and bordered it with a wide solid colored border. You used a high loft acrylic batt and you backed it with the same solid color and then quilted scrolls and roses all over it.

My mother set up the quilt frames in our living room and slowly but surely made 2 tablecloth quilts, a blue one for me and a green one for my sister. She also made 2 wholecloth quilts. My sister's was pink jacquard on one side and blue jacquard on the other. My wholecloth quilt was a solid lime green (it was the 60's) on the back and the front was a splash of colors that made me think of a Monet waterlilies painting.

And then she put the quilting frames (that she had borrowed from the church) away and never hand quilted another quilt.

This is my tablecloth quilt today. I keep it because it was on my marriage bed. It has been through a lot with 7 kids sleeping on it and all the other things that kids shouldn't do on a handquited item.

Most of the stitches have popped through or just plain worn out as you can see below.

One of the kids even got magic marker on it at some time. (Gotta love those kids!)

And here is a picture of the frayed binding. This quilt is so ragged and so shamelessly benevolent as it wraps you up in that comfortable aged cotton feeling.

I should retire it. Maybe I will reuse the batting by covering it with flannel and tying it with yarn.

Here we are 37 yrs. ago when this tablecloth quilt was new.

Robin