by Ingrid
In May 2005, we (Grandma Bonnie, Jennifer, Ingrid, and Holly) had our 4th Annual Quilt Show and Sale in Indianapolis, Indiana. We had 72 quilts hanging in the front yard of my parents home, a 1885 farmhouse. It is rumored that this house was one of the stops on the underground railroad. My parents were told that in the backyard there is an underground room used to harbor runaway slaves. They were advised not to have any heavy machinery in the backyard as the exact location of the room is not known. Historians have documented that quilts hanging in the yard was a way to communicate to the runaways that it was safe to come to the house. It is great to remember the house’s history by once again hanging quilts outside of this great old home.
For the past eight years, my children and I have come up from Florida to Indiana to spend time with my parents and sister. Over the years, this one-week visit has lengthened into two weeks and became a sewing frenzy. Often after the kids are in bed, my sister and I will stay up sewing into the early morning hours. It is like a group of 4th grade girls getting together after not seeing each other for a long time—instead of talking we are sewing. We decided that for the sewing to continue we would need to find a way to support our hobby. The money we earn at the sale makes a small dent into our fabric “needs”.
We enjoy meeting people at the show. Many who come are quilters or have memories of their mothers or grandmothers quilting. Last year my mother, Grandma Bonnie, set out her version of a Gee’s Bend Quilt and asked all who wanted to put a few quilting stitches into her quilt. It was so much fun to sit and talk with everyone and hear their wonderful stories and memories. These memories are what keep quilting alive. We have made many new friends who each year come back to see the new quilts and visit with us.
It is great fun for us to bring all of our quilts together each year. Because we live great distances apart, Holly in Ohio, Ingrid in Florida and Jennifer and Grandma Bonnie in Indiana, we do not get to see the projects that the others are working on until we hang the quilts. The “hanging of the quilts” is always a special time for each of us. Many of the people who return each year come to see us hang the quilts, that first morning, so they can be sure to see them all.
We hope to see you all at our next show.
