Young and old, shy and boisterous, skinny and plump, male and female, talented and challenged — The members of the Niehaus family contributed to this unique treasure.
This is the second in what I can imagine will be a “quilt series” on Treasure Chest Thursday. There are too many great possibilities in this category, right?
This time I’m featuring the Niehaus Heritage Quilt that I acquired by winning the annual family reunion raffle in 2012. It contains quilt squares written by hand by those attending the Niehaus reunion in 2011, as well as a photo of Gertrude (Wilmsen) Niehaus (1847-1895),my immigrant great grandmother. The fall colors motif reminds me of the oranges and yellows of the leaves in Indiana as they float off the trees each year.
Again, the quilter is Peg (Weber) Stull. This special piece is brimming with love and history that is threaded through it from here and there. Peg uses the squares created on-site by family members attending each reunion for the foundation of the quilt. Once the reunion is over and she takes stock of her stash of signed squares, she hunts carefully for the unique fabric to work into that particular year’s quilt. In the past few years I’ve also contributed family photo squares to bring a sampling of the ancestors into the picture. Peg then prepares her layout and gets to work. She has been known also to call on nieces or daughters
or sisters to help with the final stitching of the backing. For instance, you can see on the square in one of these photos that my sister, Martha, helped out. Peg’s
creativity and skill bring the project to fruition. The singularity of these quilted mementos is unmatched. There’s a personal tale told on each 6x6 piece. And they all intertwine into our shared history. I was so happy to have my number drawn for this jewel. It will be preserved and cherished.
Send me your quilt story and photos if you would like to see it featured here. Or any item that you are keeping in that special place in your house to someday be handed down.
Thanks so much for visiting Indiana Ties,
Nancy
copyright 2015 © Nancy Niehaus Hurley
No comments:
Post a Comment
Hi: Your own stories or suggestions are welcome here any time. Thanks for being a part of Indiana Ties.