The Keeping Quilt

My third graders read a story every year called The Keeping Quilt. It is about a family that immigrates to the United States from Russia. As most people of past generations, this family was very frugal and when their clothes wore out they still found uses for the remaining sturdy bits and pieces. The family in the story makes a quilt from the old clothing, and the quilt is passed down from one generation to the next.

I love this story, it allows me to bring and share the baby quilt that my Great-grandmother made for my mother when she was born. This quilt was made from pieces of clothes that I'm sure had seen better days. I like to believe that some were from my Great-grandfather's "Sunday go to meeting shirt" or my Great-grandmother's dress, and maybe even her mother's dress.

My Great-grandmother and Great-grandfather, Catherine Hedges Jamison and Alfred Jamison, were pioneers who settled in Kansas and later in Estes Park Colorado. They raised a large family by today's standards, one of these children was my Grandmother, Sarah - also known as Sadie. Sadie grew up and married Johnathan C.. My mother, Catherine, was the third of three children. She was born in 1923 and it is in that year that my Great-grandmother Catherine made the blanket for her that is now our "Keeping Quilt". My mother used this quilt when I was born, and when I was a young girl, I kept my dolls warm with the quilt.
It was then tucked away in the cedar chest until I was about to become a Grandmother. At that time my mother pulled it out and gave it to me saying that I should mend it and pass it down to my grandchild, but it wasn't until my latest grandson was born that I finally got around to doing just that. I took the quilt apart and using the front and the back, one quilt became two. As I mended many of the hand sewn seams, I thought of my Great-grandmother Catherine and marveled at the tiny stitches she used on this quilt. My mother remembered having the general feeling that she was a kind and gentle woman whenever she was near her, but the only specific thing she could remember was a time that she "had an accident in her pants when she was to old to be having accidents", and Great-grandmother Catherine had cleaned her up and never told anyone.

I love showing the students the family tree of this quilt:
Sarah Atwell Jamison mother-in-law to: Catherine Jamison > Sadie/"Sarah" C. > Catherine (my mother) > me > Sarah and Katherine > Sadie
As you can see, we are passing on the tradition of names as well as the quilts.

One "Keeping Quilt" went to daughter Sarah and one "Keeping Quilt" to daughter Katherine.