Pat Sloan offered a weekly quilt along beginning in June 2017 called Grandma's Kitchen. She presented 25 blocks that reminded her of her grandma. I added 5 more blocks, sashing, and three borders to end up with a queen size quilt, 85 X 100.I took a long arm quilting class at Poppy Quilt and Sew in Georgetown, TX so I could start quilting my own large quilts instead of paying someone to do this. After practicing on two small lap size quilts for my grandsons, I took the plunge and quilted this quilt on a long arm machine. I did the field of daisies on a long arm and then quilted the borders and details on the applique blocks on my own Babylock Espire domestic machine.
Most of the fabric is from Moda's Pedal Pusher line. My sister and I wore pedal pushers (an old time version of short capris) when we were in elementary school in the late 50's and early 60's.
I made this quilt to honor my maternal Grandma, Laura Lucretia Pearson Coomer. She was born in Somerset, KY and spent most of her adult life in Heyworth, IL. She had 15 children and 21 grandchilren. She was a godly Christian woman who loved to sit on the front porch after a long day, playing her 5 string banjo and singing hymns. My Grandma Coomer died of congestive heart failure in November 1963 when I was 9 years old.
The quilt blocks are as follows:
Row 1: Key Holder, Railroad (mine), Broken Sugar Bowl(mine), Sticky Buns, Oh My Stars!
Row 2: Oh My Stars!, Salt and Pepper, House (mine), Half a Modern (modified), Grandma's purse(modified)
Row 3: Kitchen Window, That One Item, Grandma's Apron, Kitchen Door, Peppermint ::Swirls
Row 4: Pantry Goods, Kitchen Table, Game Shows and Soaps, Wash Day, Recipe Box
Row 5: Mending Basket, Pick a Posey, Telephone Time, Lovely Dishes, Sunday Dinner
Row 6: Small Change, Glasses and Cups, The Fridge, Dresden Plate(mine), Famous Cookies
The blocks I added have significance to my Grandma's memory. The Railroad block was included because Grandma Coomer lived one block from the railroad tracks in her small town of Heyworth, IL. During the Depression, hoboes would frequent her kitchen door and request food. She had 15 children to feed, but she never turned away a hungry person. I have heard that hoboes would somehow mark the homes of friendly people.
The broken sugar bowl was included because my Grandma was very poor and did not have fine china. Her dishes were well used. She raised 15 children and my aunts and uncles would joke that when the serving dish came around, you'd better take what you wanted now, because there wouldn't be any seconds to be had.
I included the house because of my wonderful memories visiting her house every week. She lived next door to a cemetery. My grandfather had been the caretaker there. My cousins, sister, and I loved playing in the cemetery, eating rhubarb from her garden while sitting high up on tombstones. She did not have indoor plumbing until her later years and I still remember as a very young girl having to use the outhouse even during winter. I was so happy when she finally had an indoor toilet!
The Dresden Plate block reminds me of my own mother, because she was given a dresden plate quilt as a wedding gift in 1950. I still have that quilt.
The Recipe Box was individualized also to remember my own mother. I copied 4 handwritten recipes onto fabric to include in this block. I have all her old recipe cards from her high school home economics class. She received an "A" on her recipe collection.
The Apron block is also special, because I remember my grandma always wearing a full length apron.
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| Backing |
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| Honoring my Grandma Coomer |
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| Queen quilt on antique bed. The embroidered pillow cases were wedding gifts. |
