Quilting - Follow up on previous blog post about the book published by GCHS

Common Threads Through Time, Quilts of the Gloucester County Historical Society

In my previous post, I mentioned buying this book for myself for Christmas and a copy for each of the following, my sister, my daughter, and my Cousin Patty all of whom have quilts made by my Grandmother Mabel Wright.

I was so excited to find, this morning, a quilting store and a place to take lessons and I am signed up for January 2026 Earlu Girl Quilt Company, 235 S. White Horse Pike, Audubon, NJ 856-617-6322. Hours: closed Monday, open, Tuesday 10:00-5:00, Wed. 10:00 -7:00, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10:00 - 5:00, Sunday 12:00 - 4:00.

earlygirlquilts.com

My own quilting experience consists of having made 2 original art quilts by machine for my daughter. One was very large on tan corduroy with a border of 2 inch denim pockets inside each of which there was a toy. On each pocket there was the letter of the alphabet. In the center was a cloth representative of the Ben Franklin Bridge; in the water were boats with velcro that could be taken off and put back on, and planes in the sky, also with velcro. This large quilt was hanging above a two story bed made by my father for my daughter when we lived on 8th Street in Philadelphia in 1983. Up top was her bunk, down below a curtained play room and sorage area. She could awaken in her top bunk and play with the toys in the quilt pockets or the boats and planes. The next quilt that I made for her was a portrait of our house, a twin sized bed quilt that she could take with her when she had to go for the weekend with her father for visittion. It was in case she got homesick. Those poignant quilts made me even more appreciative of the history of quilts especially as described in the book Common Threads. Many of those quilts were about women leaving their homes for a mariage or moving away to a new community, even a new region, or country.

Fortunately the Early Girl Quilt Company is holding day classes and I am signed up for January! I am so excited to be starting something new and meaningful. I will also be meeting new women and making new friends.

PBS Passport has a couple of quilting documentaries on offer and I have watched most of what they have but I will be watching again for a refresher. Also, I went to the Gees Bend Quilt Show at the Philadelphia Art Museum when it was on exhibit in 2008. I may stil have the catalogue from the show, even the book that I believe came out about the Gees Bend Quilters. I think I have a book tucked away somewhere about the Noank Quilters too.

It is so exciting to be starting something new, learning something new, especially something with such deep and meaningful roots in my life.

Happy Trails! wrightj45@yahoo.com