March 20th is National quilting day and my local guild asked that we hang a quilt and photograph it in celebration of the day. Of course, my first thought was to grab a Sunbonnet Sue quilt, but I recently read an article online about quilts from Ireland. You can read the article here: http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20210316-quilting-an-irish-tradition-fit-for-pandemic-times

I have a quilt that has an Irish history. My grandmother imigrated from Ireland in 1930 at the age of 23. She married my grandfather and they lived in a small town in upstate New York called Wellsville.

After my Grandparents died, the owners of their old house were cleaning out the attic and found a quilt in the rafters. It is made of old pieces of clothing and has a piece of embroidery on it saying Erin go Bragh.

It was assumed that my grandmother brought the quilt from Ireland as a remembrance of the people she left behind. The quilt is made from pieces of clothing and is well loved. It is one of my most cherished quilts as I think about Grandma having to leave her family behind and start a new life in a different country.

So happy National Quilting Day! I hope you celebrate with those that you love.

This quilt found its way into my collection through eBay.  I don’t have a lot of information on it and I really only bought it because it was inexpensive.  The blocks are sew together by machine, but the applique was done by hand with a large blanket stitch.  All the pink dresses are the same 1930s fabric and and all the  blue dresses are the same.  The stitching is primitive,  on some and better on other blocks.  I’d like to think it was a group project.  It could also be that the person learned more with each block and use the quilt to become a better stitcher.

Unfortunately, the thread is breaking down and the quilt is stained.  There is a layer of batting and a backing of solid pink, the same pink fabric used in the bonnets.

But what I love about this quilt is that someone loved it and used it.   Because Sue has her hands tucked in her pockets, we can think that maybe she has a secret!