My grandmother's Christmas quilt ...

Every Christmas I display my grandmother's Christmas quilt on the hall tree that was in her house and now is in the entryway of my home. The quilt is red and green on one side ... and a flowery floral print on the other ... typical of the practical necessity of not have holiday-only items in the house. Practical was a way of life in the hard-scrabble mountains of southwest Virginia and, later, in Chesterfield County where they moved to better their lives.

My grandmother was named Mollie and was born in 1885 in Alleghany County, NC, which is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains just over the state line from Virginia. She married my grandfather who was from Grayson County, VA, just over the state line from NC, and together they raised 10 children. My mother is their youngest and only surviving child.

I have several quilts that Grandma made with her own hands or with neighbor women. As a child I can remember the quilting frame set up in a spare bedroom where they worked when time allowed.

I'm sure the quilts would be very valuable in the market place ... but they are far more valuable to me. When I was young we actually used them on our beds but today I have them safely tucked away. I want to preserve them for my children.

The Christmas quilt is special ... a reminder of Christmases past.

Photo by SWAC Girl