I really love the 'Vintage Treasures' wall hanging which I made in 2005.Again I made this quilt hanging totally by hand with the majority of it I made while I was in hospital. To make this quilt I have used the Vintage Treasures pattern designed by Libby Richardson.
There are two things about this quilt that are significant for me.
The first thing is that it was made at the start of a time that turned out to be major change in my medical treatment which at the time really saved my life.
I remember the time I started this quilt so well as I was in the William Angliss Hospital in Ferntree Gully for 10 days. Up until this asthma attack I had always been taken to the Maroondah Hospital but they were on bypass. At the start it seemed so frustrating as I had different doctors but this medical team told me that if something didn't change I may not survive many more asthma attacks. Rather than treating me the the attitude 'that nothing more can be done to help you' I was started in a pulmonary rehabilitation program and put under the care of a chronic health nurse. Through a series of events I ended up changing specialists, was referred to a new general practitioner and started on Singulair and haven't had a major life threatening asthma attack since.
The second reason that I really love this quilt is that it brings back so many memories of my grandmother as I have used brooches and gloves that I have treasured for a long time which have always been in her jewellery box. Along with some of grandma's jewellery I still have a little birthday gift card that I gave to grandma. Most of the dried flowers have fallen off over time but you can still clearly read the card.
While I can't remember my grandmother ever wearing these things, just the fact that they were my grandmothers is special and invokes memories of times that I spent visiting grandma and grandpa in Wangaratta and of the times that I spent with grandma when she lived with us in Doncaster East for a short time.
I have never worn these pieces of jewellery and rather than have them hiding way in a box I decided to use them on my quilt where I could see and enjoy them.
The gloves are really old made and were very 'yellowed' so I soaked them in bleach and then I dried them in the dryer to shrink them to so that they would fit on the quilt. I have always had in my mind that the gloves came from grandma but I can't be sure of that.
Along with the gloves, I have also pinned an army brooch/hat pin that came from my grandmother. It has the Commonwealth of Australia symbol with the kangaroo and emu at each side, AIF at the top of the crest and Australian Commonwealth Military Forces along the bottom. I don't know the history of this brooch so will need to look into that.
The brooch on the ribbon of the hat is a Cameo brooch that also came from my grandmother and another brooch is pinned to the 'shoe' panel. Another brooch that I have from my grandmother is pinned just under the 'shoe' panel.
On the handbag I have used a brooch of a butterfly as the clasp. The brooch was sent to me as a birthday present by some old friends when they were living overseas.
With all the memories and jewellery from my grandmother I think the quilts name 'Vintage Treasures' is so appropriate for this quilt.
There are two things about this quilt that are significant for me.
The first thing is that it was made at the start of a time that turned out to be major change in my medical treatment which at the time really saved my life.
I remember the time I started this quilt so well as I was in the William Angliss Hospital in Ferntree Gully for 10 days. Up until this asthma attack I had always been taken to the Maroondah Hospital but they were on bypass. At the start it seemed so frustrating as I had different doctors but this medical team told me that if something didn't change I may not survive many more asthma attacks. Rather than treating me the the attitude 'that nothing more can be done to help you' I was started in a pulmonary rehabilitation program and put under the care of a chronic health nurse. Through a series of events I ended up changing specialists, was referred to a new general practitioner and started on Singulair and haven't had a major life threatening asthma attack since.
The second reason that I really love this quilt is that it brings back so many memories of my grandmother as I have used brooches and gloves that I have treasured for a long time which have always been in her jewellery box. Along with some of grandma's jewellery I still have a little birthday gift card that I gave to grandma. Most of the dried flowers have fallen off over time but you can still clearly read the card.
While I can't remember my grandmother ever wearing these things, just the fact that they were my grandmothers is special and invokes memories of times that I spent visiting grandma and grandpa in Wangaratta and of the times that I spent with grandma when she lived with us in Doncaster East for a short time.
I have never worn these pieces of jewellery and rather than have them hiding way in a box I decided to use them on my quilt where I could see and enjoy them.
The gloves are really old made and were very 'yellowed' so I soaked them in bleach and then I dried them in the dryer to shrink them to so that they would fit on the quilt. I have always had in my mind that the gloves came from grandma but I can't be sure of that.
Along with the gloves, I have also pinned an army brooch/hat pin that came from my grandmother. It has the Commonwealth of Australia symbol with the kangaroo and emu at each side, AIF at the top of the crest and Australian Commonwealth Military Forces along the bottom. I don't know the history of this brooch so will need to look into that.
The brooch on the ribbon of the hat is a Cameo brooch that also came from my grandmother and another brooch is pinned to the 'shoe' panel. Another brooch that I have from my grandmother is pinned just under the 'shoe' panel.
On the handbag I have used a brooch of a butterfly as the clasp. The brooch was sent to me as a birthday present by some old friends when they were living overseas.
With all the memories and jewellery from my grandmother I think the quilts name 'Vintage Treasures' is so appropriate for this quilt.
1 comment:
what a wonderful way to use your family memorabilia. i also have things that have been pased on to me, and i hate nothing more than them being tucked away in a drawer, to be orgotten! (Michelle - Melanie's sister...)
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