90 Years of Kentucky Handi-Work

In 1927 a young Kentucky couple welcomed a baby girl they named Verna Madden.  She would grow up to touch multiple generations with her love and to warm them with the quilts into which she poured even more of that loving spirit.  She left this world six years ago and her family is still warmed by her quilts and the memories they arouse.  Verna’s niece Peggy Madden Harmann shared the quilts and the stories with me and after seeing and hearing I wish I’d known this precious lady.

A couple of weeks ago I said I was turning the blog over to you readers and I am so honored that Peggy would share these things with me and that she’d allow me to pass them along to you.

She was a prolific quilter, sharing her work with all of her nieces and nephews.  The 3 or 4 quilts represented here a tiny fraction of the craft she learned as a young child and continued throughout her 90 years.  Early-on she both pieced and quilted by hand, however as age and arthritis took their toll on her joints, she began having her quilt-tops professionally quilted by machine.  Even then she was particular about the pattern they would be quilted in. 

I’m just in love with the cross-stitched rosebud quilt.  Someone told me years ago that you can’t put cross-stitching on a quilt.  I defied their advice at the time, but the quilt I produced was nothing like this lovely covering!

Thank you for sharing Peggy!

I wonder, do other readers have family quilts and accompanying stories to share?