Mom's (Grandma's) Quilts

Friday, March 12, 2010, I got to help my Mom, known to most of the family as Grandma Ruth or GreatGrandma Baumgarten, with a presentation of some of the quilts she has made for family members to the Clarinda (Iowa) Home and Garden Club. See more in Kristin's online album here.

When I arrived on Thursday, her famous "party room" was set with dainty card tables decked out in St. Patrick's Day green, awaiting the luncheon provided by other ladies. We brought six quilts Mom has made for us for her to include in her talk My sister Kristin came from Spencer, bringing a baker's dozen more. She has more children, so there are more quilts in their home. Kathy joined us for dinner on Thursday evening, bringing even more quilts. Friday morning, before I was out of bed, Mom and Kristin arranged the collection of 33 quilts around the perimeter of the party room - draped on quilt stands, on the rocker, on the stair rail and stacked on the couch.

During Mom's presentation, she worked her way around the room, describing each quilt, explaining who it was for, her inspiration for it or the history behind it.

She had her first quilt, US State Birds made in 1949 before she was married and an unfinished quilt she's still working on. The first State Birds quilt has 48 birds. She made another State Birds quilt later, altering the design to add state birds for Alaska and Hawaii.

This Fishing Boy quilt was made for her first grandson, Jonathan Fisk. She creates quilts for each of her 16 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren - a baby quilt, a youth quilt and a high school graduation quilt.While some quilt designs have been repeated, no two quilts are alike. She got creative with later grandson, since Kristin's family had five boys and Kristin didn't want identical quilts.

Mom showed the first of the over 30 denim patch quilts she made from old blue jeans. The first ones were made with our Dad's old jeans, later ones made recycling old jeans gathered from various people and thrift stores.

Unfortunately, photos don't exist for ALL the quilts she has made and some she has given away or donated to auctions she has no record of.

In all, the number is well over 100 quilts, not counting simple tied quilts she has done for charities and missions.

Note: Grandma Ruth designs and pieces, embroiders or appliques the quilt tops and has the quilting done by various local quilters or machine quilting businesses.

The Clarinda Herald Journal carried a nice write up and photos (done by Ruth and Kristin) in their March 18, 2010, paper. Kristin is compiling a photo album for Mom with all the pictures she took of the quilts, that day and later. You can view Kristin's photos in an online album here. The ladies of the Garden Club enjoyed the show and the stories told that day.

As a quilting artist, Mom's body of work is amazing, but the tangible evidence of her love is the more important element. Over the years, her family members will continue to be warmed by her embrace as they use quilts she made especially for them.