“Bride’s Quilt”
Once upon a time, there was a little girl, who wore a bow in her hair. When she grew up, she began a friendship with a young bachelor. As the hours and days passed, they began to look at each other with stars in their eyes, and as their love grew, they thought about taking steps to the altar. So, the young girl got out her spools of thread and made clothes to get ready for their wedding ring day.
After they are married, some of their times together will be bright as noon and others will be dark as night. But they will try to share their happiness, their miseries and their chores – she grabbing a wrench to help with household repairs and he grabbing a towel to help with the dishes. Sometimes they will have broken dishes, but they will try to remember that “things” can be replaced, whereas harsh words, possibly spoken about the broken dishes, could chip away love. They will try to follow the Golden Rule as they are learning to communicate openly with each other.
They will also try to keep in mind the symbolism of Jacob’s ladder – “steps of communication” between themselves on earth and God in heaven.
Welcome to Teatime with TT... Tressie Teegarden. "Back in the day" each young woman was encouraged to have a cedar chest... a "hope chest." A chest that would hold some special quilts, embroidered pillowcases, napkins, tablecloths and doilies, with the hope that one day they would fall in love, get married and have a family.
Tressie enjoyed reading the Reminisce magazine and this story, that she tucked away into her memory book, inspired her own story...
Today, I share the story of Tressie's hope chest...
A hope chest was every young girl's dream to have when getting married. She would embroider, cross-stitch, and hand ham stitch hand towels, sheets, and pillowcases and put them in the cedar chest.
I had worked some and had $35 in a savings account in the First National Bank in Trinidad, Colorado. Forrest and I had been married about a month and he got a job in Pueblo, Colorado, so we moved there. We didn't have much money so Forrest said to take my $35 and he would make me a cedar chest. That is what I had saved my money for.
To celebrate the love of Tressie & Forrest, I am offering a bonus block... a heart. It is a quick little block to piece, and I think you will find that it is fun to make. As you can see, I made each heart of the same color, but you could mix it up and make each half of contrasting colors.
As a senior in high school myself, I remember getting a small cedar jewelry box from the local furniture store. My Mom had received one as she approached her graduation as well.
I also recall writing in many of the thank you notes for graduation gifts that I planned to purchase a "hope chest". I didn't make that purchase until a few years later... but I did finally make such a purchase. I had gone off to college for one year and met Dave. We were engaged to be married two years after my HS graduation and it was during a summer visit to Illinois when his Mom and sisters hosted a bridal shower for me that we were "shopping" at a local garage sale and purchased a cedar chest... full of various contents!
I refinished the cedar chest while on vacation there and still have it. 💕 I store special items in it... things like the Christening gown that both girls wore when baptized as infants, some of their infant and toddler silverware, and winter blankets.
Do you have a cedar chest? What do you store in it?
Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you!
Get your pattern for the Love block over on Payhip today! Feel free to link up on the Stars post. :)
Keep Piecing!
Melva
Linking with:
Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese
Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation
Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie
Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty
Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More
Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting
Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts
Scrap Happy Saturday at Super Scrappy
Patchwork & Quilts at The Quilting Patch
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What a cool story! Do you still have Tressies Hope Chest? that is so cool that Forrest made it!!
ReplyDeleteI have my Grandmas Cedar chest. It was her moms. and it is filled with things that came from them ;-)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteWonderful story...I never had a Cedar Chest, but years later my hubby bought me one
at a rummage sale. I'll cherish it for ever. I keep memories in m Cedar Chest. My wedding day items,
My son's first day at school. My grand kids baby teeth they lost. Have an awesome day
A lovely story. My auntie has a cedar chest full of quilts, I've been lucky enough to get two quilts from there :) Also love the heart blocks. I've made a few and think they would be good as leaders/enders when sewing. I'm making scrap squares at the moment to get rid of 'sew' many scraps.
ReplyDeleteGreat story. I, too received a mini chest from the local furniture store. I used it to store lettersand I still have it. Never had a large cedar chest, though, I did end up with my Mother in law's when she passed.
ReplyDeleteHi Melva! What a lovely story. Thank you for sharing the heart block! I've always meant to make a heart banner. I do have a cedar chest - two, actually. One was my great-great grandfather's and has his name printed on the outside of it. He was the Senator for Wisconsin followed by then as the Governor for the state. I don't have anything in that chest but the kids toy bins are stacked on top of it (with a quilted runner, of course). The second cedar chest is quite ornate. My mom got it as a young girl (she would be 111 if she were alive). I've stored various holiday decor in it and it is used as an everyday table in our living room. It's the perfect height for beverages or sippy cups to rest, and it's pretty to look at. Happy Sunday! {{Hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne
ReplyDeleteIronically, I just sold our cedar chest last week. I didn't fit in the room with my long arm.
ReplyDeleteI do have a cedar chest! My husband bought it for me early on in our marriage. I keep sweaters in it that my mother made, a smattering of the girls' baby clothes, embroidered pillowcases from my grandmother's official hope chest.
ReplyDeleteI have two cedar chests that my husband bought me at a closeout store. One holds table linens and the other holds some extra sheets, a couple of small quilts I made, and a bunch of miscellaneous things.
ReplyDeletePlease let me caution you NOT to store your special fabric items in direct contact with any raw wood, cardboard boxes, paper of any normal kind DIRECTLY touching the wood products. The acids in the wood can and likely already has weakened and or discolored said fabrics. Instead, gently wrap the items in clean white cotton sheets. Then place in your storage. Also recommended to refold the items a different direction, padding the folds with perhaps pillow cases, a couple times a year. I had the chance to get my Mother's cedar chest but it was as heavy as her sewing machine and cabinet. Running out of room in the back of our truck I choose the sewing machine n its desk .
ReplyDeleteThe chest Forrest made is gorgeous and having personally made it makes it even more special! I do have a cedar chest that I use to store our sheets in. Seeing yours I am reminded that I have a cheater print that I always wanted to use to make a cushion for the top of it. Another thing to add (back) to the "To Do" list! Just read about your Monday link-ups and look forward to participating in the future.
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't have a cedar chest, but like you, I was intrigued by the concept of a hope chest. Your post brought back fond memories. Thank you!
ReplyDelete