THE LITTLE BLUE DRESS
Lauraleigh wore this little blue dress when she was about 3-4. I loved making clothes for both of my girls and of course I saved the scraps. The scraps then were used many years after to make the quilt squares for what I thought I was making: a king size quilt for our bed.
I did piece together a large quilt top about a twin bed size. But I didn't do anything else with the quilt top except put it all away into a big plastic bag.
Today, I found the twin size quilt top and I was thrilled and thought it would be perfect to use as the basis for the baby floor play pad. I would fill it with batting and sew the edges and make some ties to quilt it all together. Perfect for Brock and the other babies to come.
Then, I found this very old little doll blanket.
My mother's mother, Grandma Endicott, made this doll blanket for either Donna or myself at least 55 years ago..... maybe longer. As I look at this doll blanket, I see so many pieces of cloth that I remember. Grandma Endicott saved her scraps too! That was the way everyone did it way back then. I think most people now just go purchase a bundle of perfectly matching quilt pieces. It's strange, but the quilt pieces you see below are more perfectly matched than any you can find in the finest quilting stores anywhere.
Memories.... connecting the dots.....
The doll blanket is made out of flour sacks. Grandma Endicott had lots of dresses that she wore made of flour sacks. During the "olden days" (I suppose the depression) many women bought flour in fabric sacks and saved the perfectly good fabric sacks to make their families clothing from. Grandma Endicott also had lots of aprons; every apron was like a dress. The apron was very large, covering the front and back of her, it slipped over her head and was like a poncho with ties on each side.
I can look at this doll blanket and remember Grandma Endicott.
Very Straight Short Silver Hair
Very short - she grew shorter as I grew taller
Very stout
Very stern
A busy, no nonsense farm woman
Odorous
- farmers wore no deodorant (I don't even know if it was invented yet?)
She smelled of lie soap from scrubbing on a scrub board.
She smelled like fresh baked bread, or sponge cake
She smelled like country fried chicken with cream gravy
I could name a different character quality about my Grandma Endicott for each and every
flour sack square in the little 12"X18" doll blanket.
I can only hope I leave as many memories in the floor blanket I'm making now for future generations to come in our family.
