The Grandma Quilt

I'd like you to meet the Grandma Quilt. It is the preferred blanket in our family for snuggling on the couch, etc. It is gigantic (You can see it here on my Queen Sized bed). I have to admit that I think it is rather ugly, but it is a family heirloom, is very warm, and just the right weight.

DH's family comes from southern Ohio just outside of Cincinnati. His father grew up in a very poor share cropper family. I mean SERIOUSLY poor. They had 1 pair of tennis shoes that all the boys shared for GYM class. Their mom was obviously very frugal and very creative with their finances. She was also a VERY good cook I am told. She died long before I ever met my husband, but I hear stories of what a wonderful woman she was. She made this blanket. You've seen crazy quilts before right? Probably the ones that you've seen were on a smaller scale and involved expensive silk or satin fabrics with lace and such embellishments. This quilt is made entirely of corduroy. It is backed in green flannel. Crazy quilts are made in squares of crazyness that are then sewn together. If you look very closely, you can see the squares. Of couse in all this crazyness, it's a little difficult.

The Grandma Quilt is not the most stunning example of quilting. The sewing on the pieces is obvious, as she just turned under most of the edges and sewed over the top. It is also not "Quilted". I mean that the backing is sewn on along the edges, but there is not quilting to hold the 2 layers together other than that. There is no batting in the middle. Despite all the things that an accomplished quilter might say makes this a slap dash quilt, it is very loved. No, it doesn't live on my bed all the time, it lives folded up nicely by the couch ready for whoever may need a little bit of snuggle warmth.

The Grandma Quilt has a baby brother, the baby Grandma quilt. This is one of DH's baby blankets! His grandma apparently made one for all of the grandkids. As you can see it is still in very "lively" corduroy, but it is a log cabin style rather than the crazy quilt design. She obviously spent lots of time and love making this one. You can't see any of the stitching, and all of the squares are beautiful. It, also, does not have any batting, and is also backed in flannel. Note the cute little blue sheep. I suppose that is the part that makes it a baby blanket. It is much larger than what we would typically call a baby blanket. This blanket is usually used as a lap blanket, or gets put on one of the kids beds on a particularly cold night.

If you have managed to read this post without going cross eyed, or blind from the riot of colors I am very proud of you.