How do grandmothers know things?

December 19. This year commemorates my grandmother’s 121st birthday. She was born in 1899.

Thread sketching, fusible applique on painted canvas.
Detail of "Memories of Gram."

My Gram taught me how to sew on a button. Her aprons and dresses always had pockets. Her favorite color was yellow. She had a green thumb and loved the black-eyed Susans that grew each summer in the front yard. This piece, called “Memories of Gram” [2009], portrays some of my memories of her.

"Memories of Gram" 2009, 16" x 16"

How do grandmothers know things?

Grandmothers are wise. They have more life experiences to draw upon than their children and grandchildren. They (try to) impart that wisdom on us—even if we're not listening to it. 

They also have an uncanny knack for knowing their grandkids. Mine did with me, anyway. I dated a guy for a number of years during and after college. He was a really nice guy. We worked in the same profession and had a mutual circle of friends. He was hard-working, smart, responsible and practical. My parents both liked him... and my Gram liked him too. But I remember one time—quite out of the blue—she said I would not end up with this guy. What made her say that?

"Memories of Gram" detail: photo transfer.

Did she know my curious nature and thirst for knowledge would take me other places—like grad school? Did she sense I was not ready—at that time in my life—to settle down? Or that I needed a mate with a different set of complementary or contrasting traits? Her "grandmother radar" had some kind of insight.

"Memories of Gram" detail: machine stitched black-eyed Susan.

Fast forward 100 years... 

December 19 is also the anniversary of my husband’s and my first date. 

Pure coincidence or providence? I like to believe my Gram concocted a plan to have my husband's and my paths cross... and decided that our first date would be on her birthday. The year was 1999.

Quilt label on back. Detail of machine stitching.

Happy Birthday, Gram.

"Threadwork"—program at Choo Choo guild

Threadwork program at the
Choo Choo Quilters guild meeting.

In addition to "collecting" fabric, I love collecting threads... at quilt shows, sewing centers, quilt shops and on line. With my vast experience collecting threads, and a bit of experience using them, I'll be presenting the program on "Threadwork" at the next Choo Choo Quilters guild meeting, Monday, August 15. The presentation also includes using photos as inspiration and working in a series.

This presentation is part of the guild's year-long Inspirational Quilting program which has covered a gamut of topics on design concepts, color and, most recently, innovative piecing. Topics planned for the remainder of the year include surface embellishment, borders and bindings.

I've been making notes for this program for the last two months and had it pretty well outlined and finalized. Then, about a week ago, I got a new iPad as an early birthday gift. As a corollary to Sydney J. Harris' columns on "things I found while looking up other things," this week I worked off the premise, "there's nothing like a real project to facilitate the learning curve for operating a new device."

So, if the technology gods show favor on us at Monday's guild meeting, my Threadwork presentation will be on screen. Wish us luck!
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Great threadwork references: