The Beauty of Quilts and the Comforts of Home

Yesterday, I was listening to a podcast that I recently discovered called Haptic and Hue. The topic of this episode was “Whole Cloth Quilts in the North Country” of England. While the entire episode was fascinating, a couple of minutes specifically grabbed my attention. (And, ladies, please forgive me if I made an error in transcribing your words.)

A whole cloth quilt stitched by Deborah McGuire, who provided the photo. You can see more of her work at: https://plainstitch.co.uk/

“…This very human trait of seeking something beautiful even though you might be surrounded by poverty and industry, these North Country quilts have the ability to help make houses into homes, give comfort, and provide pleasure for the eyes and solace for the hands.” -Jo Andrews

Deborah McGuire goes on to say that there was such a “juxtaposition” between the mundane tasks that these women were doing and the beautiful handiwork they were creating in the whole cloth quilt.

“…this was not really about the idea of a fashionable home. It was much more tied up in the idea of having a home that was representative of your efforts and your work, it was about people taking pride in their living conditions and also their identity being tied up in their idea of hard work… A whole cloth quilt was something that perfectly measured out the extent of your labor. Every one of those stitches was there for people to see. It was about I have made an effort in order to make an item of beauty that enhances my workaday life. And that’s where the magic is, I think.”

These words grabbed my attention because the book Feels Like Home written by Marian Parsons, to be released on October 12, has been on my mind. Although I have not yet received my hard copy, I was sent a soft copy to preview. In her book, Marian guides the reader through the process of adding beauty to your home by adding touches that represent your personal style and taste—not following the latest trends, listening to your own home and how it needs to be made beautiful, etc. I am waiting for my hard copy to arrive to finish reading the book (my computer did not not cooperate well with the format I received). However, I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful photos and the words I did read! If you or someone you know would enjoy this book, I highly recommend pre-ordering it, which you can do here: Feels Like Home by Marian Parsons (affiliate link). And if you pre-order, Marian is offering some pre-order bonus materials here: Feels Like Home Bonus Content

While I was previewing her book and thinking about what makes a house feel like home to me, I thought about the times that I have traveled or moved into a new home. In those times, what items instantly made my environment feel like home to me? And these were the things that came to my mind: a rocking chair, cozy quilts, candles, hot tea, the scent of lavender, a knitting project, and books. I can feel at home almost anywhere in the world if I have those items to enjoy.

On her blog today, Marian is giving away items that make a house feel like home. And one of the items that she will be giving away is a quilt that I designed and handcrafted based on a photo of an antique quilt in her new book. The photo below is from her website, but it shows the antique quilt on the daybed in her sewing room—the quilt that was the inspiration for the one that she will be giving away today celebrate the upcoming release of her new book.

And here is the quilt that I made, using fabric that Marian designed several years ago:

If you enter her giveaway and win the quilt, I would love to hear from you! It is small (only 48” square)—the perfect size to drape over the back of a chair or sofa and use as a lap quilt or as a child’s quilt to become a treasured heirloom.

I also have the option to pre-order a similar one here: Shoofly Star Quilt

My goal for next year is to offer lessons for how to make quilts and other beautiful items for the home so that you can, as the women in the past, show the efforts of your hard work in your home. And if sewing and quilting are not your interest, Marian’s book will give you some great DIY ideas and tutorials so that even if you never quilt a whole cloth quilt as discussed in Haptic and Hue’s podcast episode, you too, can make an item of beauty for your home that will be “representative of your efforts and your work” and that will “enhance” your everyday life.

Thanks to Jo Andrews and Deborah McGuire for your permission to share your lovely thoughts from the podcast. And thanks, Marian, for your advice, encouragement, and inspiration over the years.

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