Stitch & Bi*ch

Good Morning Friends!

Do you have your cup of coffee?

As promised, here is a picture of my now famous Lil Granny...

This was Classic Lil Granny...For several reasons. #1, it was Christmas Eve, and Christmas was the pinnacle of her year. She loved to put up the tree, watch the cartoons and other Christmas specials on TV, but most of all, she loved that first week in December when my mother took her Christmas Shopping and then to lunch. Christmas Shopping in this sentence gets a Capitol because it was an all out holiday for her. No one, and I mean No One on this planet loved shopping for Christmas gifts the way she did. Anyway...I've digressed...Here, she is laughing loudly, exchanging gifts, and daintily opening hers. You may or may not depending on her mood, find that gift, re-wrapped and placed under her own Christmas Tree at her apartment later. She liked to savor the moment. As a matter of fact, one of my very own Christmas Decorating Philosophies came from her. Direct Quote, Hand To God, "As far as I'm concerned, you can never have too many twinkle lights."  And as such, I add more strands of twinkle lights to my already pre-lit Christmas tree. I've also developed a penchant for spray glitter, but that story is better saved for another day.

Today, I'm going to tell you about my other Grandma. My Grandma Howard. This would be my father's mother. She too chain smoked and drank so much coffee, I'm still not sure how the woman ever slept. This is the Granny I made quilts with. She had a wonderful sense of humor. I also tend to get my frugality (some call it cheapness) from her.

She taught my friend Heather and I, Quaker's Meeting. And I do not mean to offend any Quakers who may read my blog, it was simply a tool to keep us quiet in Church. It never worked. She knew it wouldn't, and it tickled her too. Secretly, she liked laughing in Church as much as we did. Maybe more...

So, we set out to make a Crazy Quilt and a 9-Patch Lap Quilt one summer. She would spin a yarn while teaching me to sew the pieces together. We used the biggest bolt of white fabric you have ever seen for the backing. It was industrial size. Probably weighed 50 plus pounds. Something I'm sure my grandfather found, and brought home to her, pleasing her to no end with his frugality...Her stories were as memorable as the quilting skills she taught me. Perhaps more considering my 1st solo quilting project was met with some bumps in the road.

So, I'm making a basic 9-patch quilt. I have no idea how big the finished product will be. I started out making a completely different quilt. Didn't measure properly, and had to make some adjustments. OK, so many adjustments that I had to scrap the idea of making the Cheaper by the Half Dozen lap quilt and move onto a basic 9-patch. Which is fine. Except I have no idea how big it will be. Hopefully either big enough for  a place mat, or possible a table runner...if I'm lucky, I'll end up with a hand towel.

I'll post some pictures of my progress tomorrow...

The title of my blog today refers to a specific group, a sewing/quilting group called Stitch & Bitch. Information suggests these groups have been around since the WWII. I have consulted a dear childhood friend (the same one who learned the Quaker's Meeting Rhyme in Church) to help me do some research on the subject. I find it interesting, the social and economic aspects of quilting circles to women. Hopefully I'll have more history to share next time...Till then, "Quaker's meeting has begun, no more laughing no more fun, if you dare to crack a smile, you will have to walk a mile..." Rotten, I know.

Love,
Olivia
My Granny's Attic