They were labelled "Old Quilts", and I started to wonder why, if they belong to us, we call them simply "old quilts". If we saw them in an antique store, we'd call them "antique", or "vintage", but if they're up in the attic, they're just "old".
Anyway, here are a couple of the "old" quilts.
This one (I think) dates back to the 1930's, judging by the turkey red and green border, which was in vogue in those days. My mother always said it was made by her mother, Maud (Secord) O'Brien, who was from Lansing, Michigan, and immigrated to Canada to marry a young man and settle on a homestead in an area called Valpoy, in Manitoba. These homesteads were given to young families who could prove themselves by clearing a number of acres of land and starting a farm. Unfortunately for Maud and her young man, Edward, the land was rocky and swampy. Edward was shot in 1923, and the house burned not long after, leaving Maud a widow with 9 children.
The blocks appear to be squares of flour or sugar bags, hand embroidered.
I'll post a few more over the next few days. Since I'm moving to an old farmhouse, with lots of spots for a quilt, I don't think they'll be back in the attic any time soon!
Happy Quilting!
Maggie



