Quilting Through the Generations

Abstract

Quilting Through the Generations Grayson Jones (bio) I. Stitches in Time I sit with Mamamaking tiny stitches in the fabricstretched taut across a wooden frame. We bind the layers into onesometimes speaking of the woman whopieced together this quilt top more than one hundred years ago.My great-grandmother fitted these multicoloredscraps into a Flower Garden design. Remnants of dresses and shirts madefor herself, for her daughter, were not wasted.Still, she never finished the intended whole. Perhaps no time was allowed in the busy dayof household chores, or maybe time simply ran shortfor one who died young, giving birth to a son. Rediscovered, Mama and I now stitch row on rowturning her labor of love or necessityinto warmth for my sister's marriage bed. II. Quilting, Next Generation My sister now sews togetherleftover pieces from outfits she has madeher own daughter since my niece was small. [End Page 136] Pinafores and bright play clothes, a pink princess costume,her green maid-of-honor dress worn in my weddingare all here recalling the times of her life. A Log Cabin full of memorieswill grace my niece's nuptial bedwhen she marries in the fall. III. Quilting, Twice Removed An overabundance of underwearprompted my niece to piece her pantiesinto her very own Kiss My Ass quilt. [End Page 137] Grayson Jones Grayson Jones has a career in bio-medical research and teaches biology at Young Harris College in the Georgia mountains. This is her second published poem. Copyright © 2012 Berea College