Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Genevieve's

I told you last week that my post for Vintage Thingie Thursday would combine two of my favourite things, antiques and quilts. Well I guess you could say this lady started my love of quilting before I was even born. My great grandmother Genevieve was a wonderful, beautiful seamstress, quilter, crocheter, tatter etc. I never met her as she passed before I was born, but I truly feel her sewing genes were passed through my dad on to me! Either that or I was born in the wrong generation!!! I am also very fortunate to have had passed down to me some of her quilting.

Recently on a trip to the family farm in Ohioby me and a trip to Missouri by my dad, I also receied some of her tools she used for crocheting and tatting. There were even some unfinished projects with thread/yarn still attached. Kind of eerie but great to know she even had some UFO's!!! I hope to one day to get these all framed in dedication to her.


As best that I can tell all her quilts were hand pieced and quilted. If anyone knows the official name of this star quilt I would appreciate knowing.

tThis purple, green and yellow appliqued quilt is my favourite. I love tulips and she must have too! It is too bad there are a few stains on this one, but it was well used over the years.

Stay tuned for more of her work in further post. that is all I could get photographed outside before the rain stared.! Genevieve's family came from Europe (but haven't been able to pin point either Netherlands or France). The family homesteaded near Marysville, KS. Later she and her husband moved to Missouri and then to Ohio to be with their only son, my grandfather.
Update Oct 11/09: The star quilt is called Seven Stars and the floral one is Noon Day Lily with a ribbon border both patterns publised by Ruby Short McKim from Kansas. She often published them in the Kansas City Star newspaper

20 comments:

  1. Gorgeous quilts! How wonderful that you received these things and also her love of the art. I think it is so cool that you plan to frame her unfinished pieces as they are.

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  2. OMGosh...such beautiful quilts and being your great grandmother, I am pretty sure they would be ALL hand done..no machine involved. They are just magnificent...thanks for sharing.

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  3. Your great grandmother's quilts are beautiful. I love the one with tulips.

    Maybe Suzanne's "magic" formula can help you get that quilt clean. Go back to her blog. Under "labels" along the right, click on recipes. Then scroll down until you find the post titled "Because You Asked So Sweetly...Cleaning Vintage Linens".

    Since this is a big quilt, I think I would let it soak in my washing machine. Lay it on the grass in the sunshine to dry so it won't put stress on the vintage fabric. I think you will be quite surprised how much of the staining you will get out.

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  4. Genevieve! WHat a gorgeous name she had too! So French!

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  5. What a treasure to have her things. The quilts are beautiful. The yellow star one is called seven sisters I believe. If the stains don't really bother you I would leave them alone. Any stress you put on the fibers destroys them. I have several quilts with stains. The small brown ones are generally form them pricking their fiongers when they were hand quilting. I just look at those as part of the charm. If it looks to have been washed already you could try washing. If not and you still want to wash it try wetting each color in the quilt a little bit first to make sure they (the colors) don't run and ruin the whole quilt. Just my 2 cents worth. But again they are beautiful quilts.

    Rhonda

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  6. Beautiful quilts! The star quilt is called Seven Sisters...six pointed star patterns were very popular in the 1930s.

    The quilting in the Carolina Lily is just gorgeous! WoW!

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  7. You are a lady after my heart. I treasure all quilts and have several. Will have post on them later.

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  8. Gorgeous quilts! Such treasures, you have.

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  9. Beautiful work..such gorgeous quilts. How lucky you are to have these treasures..I am looking forward to seeing more of your posts. I love older crochet, tatting and quilting.
    Happy VTT..have a lovely weekend.

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  10. Love these, really adore the yellow star pattern! Simply beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!

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  11. How beautiful! It's great your family still has them.

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  12. Beautiful quilts. I had an aunt and a great-aunt named Genevieve. I wonder if that name will ever be popular again.

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  13. Such special history you have, and so beautiful! How wonderful to inherit her tools and UFOs! Genevieve is one of my favorite names!

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  14. Great quilts and great history!

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  15. What wonderful and precious treasures. I love your great grandmothers name.

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  16. The tulip quilt is lovely, I've never seen one with tulips. How lucky you are to have all her tools.

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  17. These are wonderful quilts. I know that when you wrap up in one of these you can feel your great-grandmother's arms around you! What a lovely sensation!!

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  18. The quilts are beautiful, especially the yellow and white one. It's wonderful that you have these special family heirlooms.

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  19. Your grandmothers quilts are lovely, and yes, I think my recipe will get the stains out...you might want to try it.
    Thanks for participating in VTT. Sorry my comment is so late, I have been out of town.

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