Quilts have been a big part of my life for many years. I've collected them and cherished their history. I'm most fascinated by Amish quilt heritage. Quilts are a statement of what was important to the quilter, a confirmation of something in their world, whether positive or negative, static or needing change. Every quilt is more than fabric - it is a story waiting to be told, a map to freedom, a beautiful journal that kept hearts from breaking from loneliness, a documentation of cultures and family histories. Quilts are the preservation of a people's voice.

I look forward to sharing the picture and history of a new quilt with you every month. Some will be from collections, and some will be favorite patterns that I've made. Occasionally I'll have a tip or two for you that I've learned that makes quilting easier. On the Links page I'll share favorite links to quilt shops or products. Thank you for sharing this part of my life with me.

The quilt shown here is called a "Friendship" or "Heritage" quilt. It tells us about the people who live in a town. In this case, it is the registry of the town of McClure, Pennsylvania. The quilt is almost all wool and was created around the early 1870's. It was assembled at a quilting bee and auctioned off upon completion. It was won by my great-great-grandmother when she was about 13 years old and has been a part of my family since then. Many of the names embroidered on the patches are of my relatives. What is so beautiful about the quilt is that it is a lasting memory of the relationships of all those people. Each family put their name to a patch that then became part of the block. As the blocks were then brought together, they reflected the camaraderie of the town. Each block was connected to those around it with different decorative stitches - all beautiful and individual in their characteristics…much like the people.

Contact Elaine | 6460 W. 98th Court, Westminster, CO 80021
phone: 303-430-0592
fax: 303-430-7679
elaine@elainedumler.com