My sister and I are blessed to each have a coverlet from our family. After last Saturday's blog, she was concerned that her coverlet was not in very good condition, and was rather plain in comparison to my coverlet. Although her coverlet is stored in the cedar closet here at my house, I had not really looked at it in a very long time.
So, this weekend, we pulled it out, and I started looking very closely at the structure and design. From a distance, it doesn't look all that fancy.....it is two panels sewn together, but not matched well in places. Also, from a distance you really notice the red, and miss the other pattern color that is used.
And, yes, it has been used a LOT in the past. There are patches sewn on both ends of the coverlet (probably thanks to my Grandmother Schultz, who used to put patches on patches!!!!) But, except for the ends of the coverlet, the rest of it is in pretty good shape!!!
So, this weekend, we pulled it out, and I started looking very closely at the structure and design. From a distance, it doesn't look all that fancy.....it is two panels sewn together, but not matched well in places. Also, from a distance you really notice the red, and miss the other pattern color that is used.
And, yes, it has been used a LOT in the past. There are patches sewn on both ends of the coverlet (probably thanks to my Grandmother Schultz, who used to put patches on patches!!!!) But, except for the ends of the coverlet, the rest of it is in pretty good shape!!!
Aw shucks...the picture came in side-ways!!! Oh well, you get the idea. Now you can see that there is a design there that isn't just the red stripes! The secondary pattern weft is slightly darker than the natural tabby, so it doesn't show up from a distance. (This coverlet is 100% wool, by the way!)
Closer inspection shows this lovely little block that gets totally ignored if you view the coverlet as a whole!!!! (Can you say, Whig Rose?)
And, you TOTALLY miss this diamond design when you aren't looking up close and personal. Oh my! There are so many design elements in this coverlet! And, to think we first thought it was plain!!!
This kind of makes me think of how we often view other folks....it isn't until you look closer that you find all the good elements.
So, although I credit Esther Kidwell Schultz with our coverlets, it may have been one of the other "GREATS" that actually wove them. I do know that I have Great-Grandmother Schultz's loom because her son told me it had belonged to her. This picture was made in 1935....she was still weaving then. But you can see she already had arthritis in her hands. Thank you, Esther.
Thanksgiving is not just for turkeys, my friends. I have so much to be thankful for!
Happy Weaving, my friends.
LouAnn
p.s. My sister did all the heavy lifting!!!!
Happy Weaving, my friends.
LouAnn
p.s. My sister did all the heavy lifting!!!!
5 comments:
The coverlet is lovely! I have one that I bought and it doesn't match in the center either.
Linda
I love the detail in that Coverlet!
That's beautiful. I love the use of white on white along with the color.
That is a very lovely memento and what a story it could tell. Sisters can be a blessing. Thanks for sharing a bit of the past with us. I love it.
Well, all weavers know how hard it can be to beat exactly, precisely evenly. Now I'm wondering what was going on in her life when she wove that coverlet. Did her mother-in-law just slight her biscuits, so she was slamming the beater a little extra hard? Was the baby lying in her cradle and singing to herself, and the wave of tenderness made the beating just a bit too light? Maybe she was hurrying to get to the end of the warp before the soft fruits came on, and canning would take all her waking hours. The storoies that coverlet could tell . . .
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