My Mother's Quilts -- First Look Review

Disclosure: I was sent this book to review free of charge from Worthy Ideals. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I am including links to each item for your convenience but do not receive anything if you purchase them.

Quilting has taken on its own art form, but originally started out of necessity. They have been used as gifts, as signs and communications, to record stories and as maps. They have held a very special place in my heart. My mother started quilting when I was in elementary school. Her first quilt was a sampler--where the blocks are all different. There was a square with three sun bonnet sues in different sizes to represent me and my older sisters. There was a square with a man using a transit to represent my father. This quilt was on my parents bed for years. My sisters and I all want to inherit it though my mother says it is threadbare. 

My college quilt made by my mother

My mother also made me quilts for various life transitions. She made me a beautiful quilt for when I went to college. (My father wants it as does one of my sisters but for now it hangs on our guest room wall.) When I came to Boston for graduate school she made me a new quilt since the bed in the room I was renting was larger than the twin size of my college dorm bed. We still use it if we have guests staying over night.  My graduation gift for receiving my Master degree was a quilted jacket that I still wear in the spring and fall. It is very worn but I still always get compliments on it. She even gave me a wallhanging quilt for my thirtieth birthday. Each of these quilts are stitched with love and have fond memories of both my mother as well as the adventures from those times in my life. Even as a quilter myself, I still hold onto my mother's quilts as precious treasures. With these thoughts and memories I share with you My Mother's Quilts by Ramona Richards. 

In this book Richards shares her mother's and others quilts and their stories. She shares the love, the memories and the legacy of each quilt and quilter. There is always a picture of the quilt with the devotion as well as a prayer starter because each quilt is made in love and gifted or used with love. In these devotions Richards shows how quilts connect people. For example a quilt top made by a former neighbor was finished by one of her grandmothers who was friends with the former neighbor many years later. Or how the quilt--the fabrics, batting, stitches and threads--tell so much about the character of the quiltmaker. One such quilt made by her great grandmother shows the love put into the quilt by the even and small stitches with fabrics cut small and precise (for a postage stamp quilt). The batting was handcarded and the dark thread looks like it may have been handspun as well. All of this care was put into making a quilt for a grandson (Richards' father). This is the love and connections that are made with quilts. 

In this beautiful devotional the stories of the quilts bring memories to me of my mother's quilts as well as quilts I have made and passed on. It also brings the importance of the connections and the love as well as our faith. Quilts are often made for use and the time put into them can be immense. This book brings so many memories and emotions to me that I really enjoy reading it and feel the connection to others as well as God. So if you are a quilter or love quilts, I highly recommend it. 

For more posts on quilts and quilting check out:

• Dreaming of Hawaii -- Luka's Quilt
• Watermelon Quilt
• Square It Up! Quilts
• Little Quilts
• A Baby Shower Quilt
• Color Exploration: Art, Quilts, Music and Color
• Little Quilts and Gifts from Jelly Roll Scraps
• Paper Pieced Pocket
• Simba at Dawn (my heirloom quilt)