Those Quilts Fern Made

Seems to me those quilts were always there. Even back then, as a young girl, I knew those quilts were special. Those quilts were handmade by Fern, my grandfather’s twin sister. Fern would sew hundreds and hundreds of tiny cotton patches together into a design to make one of those quilts.

Back then, I used to stare at Fern during the family gatherings. She fascinated me with those liquid-blue eyes that looked just like my grandfather’s. And back then when I went to visit her, I saw her work area – a small table in the front room with little piles of cotton patches and pieced blocks.

I could tell that Fern loved quiltmaking. She lived way out in the country and she would pass the time with her quilting or piecing. Back then, some folks may have thought Fern was peculiar, spending most days and nights with little pieces of cotton patches making those quilts. But she was known for her quiltmaking, and through the years Fern made many quilts. She made them for her family and made them to sell. Some of her quilts were traditional applique quilts and we are fortunate to have this applique quilt in our family collection.

Raised in rural West Virginia, Fern’s only influences were her family, her home, and the nearby countryside. Even as a young child, Fern’s life included quilts and she took it all in with those liquid-blue eyes.

Fern was the first quilter I ever knew and she was a quilt artist, even back then. Now that she has passed on, I treasure those quilts that Fern made and they are still as vibrant and exciting as they were back then.