Great Grandma's Quilt

I have exactly one family heirloom. And let me tell you, it is wickedly awesomely cool. My great-grandma Juanita hand made/stitched this "quilt". (It's a bed cover, complete with ruffle. But I'll continue to call it a quilt.)

The detail in it is amazing, and the colors are so beautiful. It's folky and a tad in your face. But I think that might be exactly why I love it so much. 

It's also a part of my culture and my heritage. The colors even remind me of the Mexican flag. I'm so lucky to have it hanging in my house. 

The page I made is fairly simple: an enlarged photo, some smaller accent photos, title, hand stitching and a few drops of paint. That's really all there is to it.

The rest is all about the journaling. I conjured up all the lessons Jill talked about in Scrapbooking for the Soul; and really took my time writing and editing my journaling.

I had a lot to say about this heirloom, and since its a hand made quilt I really wanted the journaling to be handwritten. But I couldn't make it all fit! So I had to compromise a bit by mixing in an "aged" typewriter font while leaving spaces for some handwritten words.

Journaling Reads:
There is a thread that connects me to her. 

I know bits and pieces about my great grandma. I know she had cotton colored hair and a love for red nail polish. I hear she was a tiny sprite full of gumption. They tell me she loved to travel and would just up and leave without telling anyone. She would go visit this friend or that one. I also know she made things with her hands. Beautiful things such as this quilt. She hand stitched every leaf, every flower, she created la Madre out of thread.

I feel this in my bones: because of her, I make things. Except my medium is paper and glue. I love creating things out of nothing; weaving patterns together, playing with color and technique. 

I'm thankful to have such precious reminder of how akin I am to her. She was a tiny ancestor who I only briefly met. But we are probably more alike than I know. The thread that connects her to me is heART.

cheers & besos,