They had six children... Those 6 children had a total of 25 children (25 grand children)... and that is where I lose count of most of the rest... something in the vicinity of 50+ great-grandkids and several great-greats sprinkled in there. Wow!
While not every makes it every year, {{2 have passed away and one uncle was awol because of a trip to the ER for his back}} three of the aunts were there this year, and seven of the eight siblings in Dave's family made it and there were a total of 12 cousins plus spouses and children.
When Dave and I were first married it could be quite overwhelming to be a part of such a large family... I mean I come from such a small one! But I have grown to love time with the Nolan clan over the years.
There were two aunts that had items that they wanted to pass along to me.
Aunt Maureen recently cleared space on her bookshelf and passed on a collection of quilting mysteries - 27 books - I look forward to reading them as soon as I finish my current read, the final book of Anne of Green Gables... :)
Aunt Kathy told me that she had some old quilt blocks that had been given to her by her Mother, Mary, because she was the only one of the girls that did much sewing.
The blocks had been made by Mary's mother... That would be Dave's Great-Grandma Chisholm.
And there is one lonely little gal that needs to be finished...
She reminds me of Laura Ingalls Wilder from the Little House on the Prairie tv series...
So in all, including this one... there are 25 blocks... the same number of grand-children that Clarence and Mary Nolan had! What a coincidence.
I will be thinking about what type of project could be done with these little ladies...
Any Ideas???
I love the ideas, comments and suggestions from those that follow me here on my blog or on social media. It would seem that the trend of those that read and follow blogs is a community that has gotten smaller over the years, but as I have become more serious about it, my community has grown... and for this and you, I am grateful.
Val, over at Val's Quilting Studio has been hosting a weekly linky party that encourages bloggers to revisit some of the older posts that quilters have shared. (I have added her button in the right sidebar.) Most often, Val will suggest a theme or topic to share. I enjoy seeing what other quilters come up with to share. I also enjoy seeing the growth that I have had as a quilter and a blogger.Within my community of quilting bloggers I have made a good friend over at Tu-Na Quilts, Travels and Eats... she and her husband have stopped by as they travel between their summer home and winter home. Their most recent visit included a three hour sewing session... Go check it out! Tu-Na Quilts, Travels & Eats
We both hope to be able to do again because we had such a great time!
To celebrate the blogging community and the vintage Sunbonnet Sue blocks, I am offering a give away of a pattern for a 16" x 20" quilt - Remembering our Past. Entering is easy! Simply leave a comment before July 8th... Be sure to include your email address with your comment - (ie. - MelvaLovesScraps at nolanqualitycustoms dot com) so that you can be notified if selected as the winner. :)
I love to hear from my readers!
Have a safe Independence Day celebration! 🎉
Melva
Melva Loves Scraps - home of the Quilters Through The Generations series
What a nice tradition. My cousin tried to get the family together quite a few years ago and gave up. Too bad. So sweet of the aunts to thin of you. I wonder if you could make a quilt as a give away for next year. The finished quilt would be a tribute to the great grandma.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty pattern. Thank you for the chance to win. kj_hahn(at)telus(dot)net
Awe, thanks for the mention! I still smile when I think of our sew day together. I have no idea of how to set those blocks. They are so cute and she did a lot of work. Is there someone in the family that would really cherish a quilt from them? Every 5 years, my dad's side of the family gets together. He was one of 13 kids and there are a lot of grandkids and great grandkids, etc. We number in the hundreds now. To help offset the cost of the reunion, we bring silent auction items and bid. Would that work?
ReplyDeletewould love to win, thanks
ReplyDeleteWhat a treasure! Perhaps, if there are yearly reunions there could be a raffle of which family gets to keep the quilt for a year? The backing could be muslin or a mottled solid looking fabric so that the history of the quilt could be written and then each family that takes possession for a year could be written in so that the history of the quilt could be traced back.
ReplyDeleteThere is very little family left on either side of my parents. . .and my hubby's family has been splintered for several years so we do not have reunions.
Good luck with whatever you choose to do with the quilt blocks.
crazyquiltpatcher AT yahoo DOT com
What a treat to get those blocks. My family comes from Nolan’s too but the northeast! Family reunions are so much fun. We always have a great time.
ReplyDeleteFamily get togethers are the best! Thank you, Susan
ReplyDeleteI remember this quilt block as a child...I would love to have the pattern...Thank You
ReplyDelete