Create Lasting Memories

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

A quilt by definition is a decorative textile often used as a bed covering.  It is made by stitching together a top, midde, and bottom layer of fabric. This process is called quilting.

In general a quilt is made up of a quilt top, something in the middle to add warmth and texture called batting, and a backing.  When you add quilting to combine the three layers and binding to enclose it all together, you have everything needed to make a quilt. Quilting stitches are stitches through all three layers of the quilt in order to hold the three layers together.  Without the quilting stitches, the layers would separate and your quilt would not last very long.

Quilting originated in Sweden in the fifteenth century.  Heavily stitched and appliquéd quilts were made for the very wealthy.  These quilts were created from silk, wool, and felt.  They were intended to be both decorative and functional.  Many were found in churches and in the homes of nobility.

A Traditional Quilt is one that uses regularly repeating shapes based on a grid. Traditional quilts use symmetry with uniform sashing and borders. Blocks can be simple or complex, or familiar historical blocks where the rows and columns are the same block.

A simple patchwork quilt is one of the easiest quilts for a beginner to make. A square patchwork quilt is made from fabric squares that are sewn together in a simple grid pattern. 

Quilts are an important piece of North American heritage. Historians say African American slaves may have used a quilt code to navigate the Underground Railroad. Patterns called wagon wheel, tumbling blocks and bear’s paw contained secret messages that helped direct slaves to freedom.

Today people make quilts for artistic, educational and social reasons like celebrating or commemorating a special event.  Many quilts are now primarily art pieces. Quilters also make quilts and coverlets for warmth, comfort or to earn an income. In years past, a group of quilters would get together and have a quilting bee. The quilters would work on the same quilt, usually tying or hand quilting to speed up the process of completing the quilt. 

Hand quilting is slower and methodical. Machine quilting done by using a sewing machine is a popular way to do the quilting today.  If you look closely at the stitching throughout the whole quilt and notice the stitches are a bit unevenly spaced or a different size, the quilt was likely handmake. If the stitches are uniform in size and spacing, the quilt was probably machine-stitched.

These are the sayings on a card or bookmark called Advice from a Quilt.

• Make lasting memories

• Block out time for family

• Cherish tradition

• Keep your friends in stitches

• Find common threads

• Know when to cut corners

• It’s OK to be a little scrappy!

Here are my thoughts as I reflect on each of these sayings.  

• Make lasting memories - My sister is spending this weekend with her daughter and making memories with her grandsons.  Her comment in a message was this was the first year not cooking the turkey!  I guess my niece is cooking the turkey this year!

• Block out time for family - Be thankful for your family.  Thanksgiving is one of those times that families come together to share a meal. 

• Cherish tradition - How do you spend your Thanksgiving Day?  What is your tradition?

• Keep your friends in stitches - Lots of stitches on a quilt. Have fun with your friends and make them laugh and smile today. 

• Find common threads - Look for the things that bring you together.  

• Know when to cut corners - Lots of corners in the grid pattern of a quilt.  Where should you cut? There are things in our life and in our businesses that we need to cut too.  

• It’s OK to be a little scrappy! - Patchwork quilts use a lot of scraps.  It is OK to be a little scrappy!  

The picture I am using today is a quilt made to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.  Today is Canadian Thanksgiving Day.  The quilt reminds us to be Thankful  and to  Give Thanks. As you spend time with your family and friends today, cherish your traditions and make memories as you celebrate Thanksgiving Day.

# living life abundantly   # published author   # travelling tuesdays