The legend and lore of , "The Grandma Blanket "

When I was a little girl, We had what seemed like a TON of quilts ! Most of the ones I remember from back then were made by my Maternal Grandmother . My Mother , amazingly , could still remember where most of the fabric for the patches came from and would lay them out on the floor , or on the bed , and tell us the stories behind each patch . Some she wore to the amusement park, or kindergarten graduation, some on dates with handsome suitors, and while my little sister was usually bored senseless,I was completely enthralled !  I loved hearing the stories and fingering the historical fabric , it made me feel connected. Part of something bigger than myself .

As time went on , and I grew some more , I discovered that I seemed to have my best night's sleep and best dreams , when I was sleeping under a " Grandma Blanket " . As Time went on , I eventually became old enough that I was given some of these magical blankets for my own , even some that my great grandmothers on my fathers side had made 100 years ago . When my hubby and I married , I acquired some made by his Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers MORE than 100 years ago .

Each one is unique , and beautiful and each one is a story I haven't managed to unravel yet . And i have slept under each and every single one of them ,at least once , and no matter which one I use , from which Grandma , I still sleep like an angel and have the best dreams ever.

I have tried like the dickens to figure out why this is,and the best I can come up with , Is because they were made with love for you , by someone who hadn't even MET you yet , but believed that one day you would exist , and just in case she wasn't there to see it , she wanted to leave you something to remember her by , and to make sure you still felt her love she poured it out in every stitch . And then everyone who came after this wonderful woman added some of their spirit too .

Newlyweds spent their honeymoon under them. Families spent cold winters snuggled together by the fire under them .  Children and babies were cuddled in them by loving mothers. Sick and aged loved ones were warmed and cared for beneath them . Weary travelers and friends were warmed by them. They were used to offer hospitality to those in need of it . When it all comes down to it , quilting is really and act of love , and sharing . It is the gift that keeps on giving, and only improves with age and use , the more love you pour into it , the more love you get out of it , and that is where it gets it's magic.

I told my daughter this one night when she awoke during a thunderstorm with a nightmare and i needed a quick story . She liked it so much she ask me if she , could sleep with a " Grandma Blanket " too ? I snuggled her up in one , and she dozed off quickly . After that she requested one after every nightmare for a while. Now she refuses to sleep without one .

Sometimes , we like to run our fingers over the quilts together and imagine how their makers came by the pieces that we don't know the stories of . And sometimes , we just talk about the ones we DO know. Always I remind her that this is her heritage , and someday it will be hers. I hope she will share it with her children . I hope she will remember that a quilt, is the fastest way for a hug to travel through generations .