You know, I think that do contain my mother's life, that quilt do. You know I think it do. Now look here at this dark blue, this here with the strawberries on it, don't it look cheery? My Ma said that that material was from a dress that she had when she were a courting. She did say that she caught my father with that dress. Now he had a sweet tooth, did my father, and she wore strawberries and she fed him strawberries and she pretty near brought him to the altar with them strawberries. He were a good man, my father, Sweet by name and sweet by nature, Joshua Sweet. My Ma knew his nature and took him and his name in her own sweet ways.
Now look you at that blue there. Look how that do shimmer and shine. The dress that came from did hang in my Ma's wardrobe all my young life. My Ma married in that dress. Look how the light do make it shimmer. I can just see my father standing at the front of our church in his best suit, well his only suit I should think. Moleskin trousers were what he usually wore, but you can't go getting wed in moleskin trousers now can you? I should think not. I see him in a white shirt with one of they stiff collars keeping his head straight up and near choking the life out of him. I see him with a smile so wide it do nearly split his face in half as he watches Ma walk down the aisle in that dress.
Now don't you go thinking that I was there a-looking on at my own Ma and Pa's wedding, now, no such thing. I just have this picture in my mind. There's Ma in that blue dress. You have to remember, my dear, that when Ma got married it weren't the thing to marry in white. Marry in blue, you'll always be true. Mind, ‘twas a good thing that Ma never favoured red; marry in red, you'll wish yourself dead.
Now, do you look at that flowery stuff there, that creamy material with the flowers, there? That and some of the others like it come from Ma's nightdresses. She was one for floral nighties were my Ma. That one she told me she wore about the time I come into the world. I don't know if that be true, but I do like to think it so.
‘Waste not, want not,’ my Ma used to say and I have always thought the same. It is no less true today to my mind, my dear, I know your mother likes to have all sorts of new things but look at this quilt now. This quilt is as warm as any ‘lectric blanket or duvet you care to think of and there is not a new piece of material in it. Every piece had a use and a purpose before it was put into this here quilt.
Take this here blue cloth with the swirly, leafy sort of pattern on it. Living room curtains they were. I drew those curtains night and morning for years when I was growing up at home. All the materials in this quilt are on at least their second useful life, earning their keep, keeping me warm of a winter's night.
Ma and me, we made this quilt, you know. We started it when I were about your age. Ma showed me how to do the square bits first and as I got better she taught me how to do the diamonds and put them together to make stars. Would you like me to show you, my dear? Your Ma? Bless you, my dear; your Ma couldn't put two stitches in a straight line to save her life, though I did try to teach her the way of it. No, come you here and let's see if we can't make a quilter out of you. Then, maybe, someday you'll be telling your Grand-daughter about my life as it lies in a quilt you helped to make.
