From the
EVERY QUILT HAS A STORY.
Some we know, some are lost and
then found, and some we will never
know. In an eff ort to collect some
of those stories, we are introducing
a new department called “My Most
Cherished Quilt” to American
Patchwork & Quilting® magazine.
On the last page of every issue in
2020, we will share stories about
special quilts and encourage you
to share the stories of your special
quilts with your family and friends.
I’ll start! My most cherished
quilt, right, is what inspired me to
start quilting. My maternal great-
aunt Gertrude Vial made it in 1962
as a wedding gift for my parents. In
1988, at Gertrude’s 100th birthday
party, the quilt was displayed along
with other quilts she had made
during her lifetime. As Gertrude
scooted her wheelchair up to each
quilt and reminisced about the
occasion for which she made it, I
was touched by the fond memories
the quilts evoked for her. I decided
that day I wanted to be the quilter
in my family for my generation.
As a former 4-H’er, I knew how to
sew but had never made a quilt. I
started taking classes, checked out
books from my local library, and
joined a quilt guild. I was all in!
Today I’m still all in. By now I
have learned that I’m a “topper”
when it comes to quiltmaking. I
like to select the fabric and cut
and piece the top, but then I’m
done. And I have many unfi nished
projects (UFOs) to prove it. If
you also want to have someone
else quilt your completed quilt
tops, turn to Fabulous Finishes on
page 17. We reached out to some
professional long-arm quilters to
glean advice on what to ask and
how to prepare your quilt for that
purpose.Have you tried improvisational
piecing—the technique where you
are not defi ned by straight lines or
precision piecing? Playtime, page
92 , is a great introduction to it. I
suggest trying a small project like
this one to determine if you like
the technique before committing
to the expense and time of a larger
improv project.
Do you have an interest in
vintage fabrics and quilts? If
so, turn to Something Old &
Something New, page 76, to see
how collector and designer
Ann Hermes repurposed some
of her old fabrics into a new
miniature quilt.Jody Sanders, EDITORFollow us on Instagram @sewmorequiltsmom and @allpeoplequilt.ABOVE: My great-aunt Gertrude
Vial, left, and my mom, Harriet
Den Hartog, share memories at
Gertrude’s 100th birthday party in- TOP : I found a 1942 pattern
booklet for Climbing Rose, the
design of my most cherished quilt.
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