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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

COMPLETELY GOBSMACKED!!

(with a subtitle of....Things that Come in the MAIL!)

Yesterday Sue P wrote:
You could always put a holler out for your followers to find certain colors you have a hard time finding.

I'm up north in Finger Lakes, NY.

Sue P.


I've had boxes show up with no return address before....just a UPS or Fedex or Priority Mail label...so it's no joke, even though it gets lots of laughs at my lectures! So I had to laugh when Sue said..put out a holler for dark brown shirts, because I can just imagine that I'll be drowning in them in no time!

But imagine my surprise when I opened up THIS box Monday. You know, I feel kinda bad because it sat in my front hall all day yesterday. (Guilty guilty guilty!) I got home from a trip on Saturday night, pulling into my driveway around midnight. I went straight to bed.

(After looking at my new carpet that was installed while I was gone...I asked for carpet the color of DIRT..and I am happy to say this pleases me! I think Buddy and Sadie approve too, and it's a good thing, since they are the reason I need dirt-colored-carpet!)

I slept til nearly 10am, and DH and I spent Saturday morning running errands. You know the usual? Sam's Club, Target, Dicks Sporting Goods (his choice, not mine..I sat there and poked through my mail on my phone just nodding and going "Uhhuh, oh really, yes that's nice..." while he shopped for a new baseball mit. What do I know about mits? About as much as he knows about thimbles...and I did make him stop at Joanns where the notions wall was 50% off, so I could inflict the same kind of pain on HIM that the sporting goods store does to me!

By the time we had lunch (I'm a sucker for Chili's bottomless soup and salad, it comes with chips and salsa and I like the Enchilda soup)and made it home..I was still so knackered from this trip that I took a long afternoon nap. Which brought us to late afternoon!

And you already know from yesterday's post that I was off cutting and kitting to the wee small hours Sunday night BECAUSE I NAPPED! :cD

Today I hit the ground running...no cutting has been done even though I plan on it later. I had to work on the website calendar, tackle more email, arrange future travel plans, finalize everything for my trip tomorrow, do the mail order, start packing for tomorrow.....

When I came back into the house after the post office run, I decided it was time to open the box and see what goodies were in it! Ummmmm...there is a letter....and it says...

As someone who obviously appreciates quilts, I hope you can recycle these for donating or just repair, rennovate, etc for your own or other use.

Thanks.


Wait. No name? Just Thanks? OH. MY.

The box had everything wrapped in black trash bags. I mean, it could be ANYTHING in there?

But look what I found!!!


antiques in the mail!
The first couple were wonderful utility quilts made out of simple panels of whole feedsacks sewn together. Made quickly for warmth and tied or machine quilted...they don't look like they have been used hard. I'm sure lots of quilts like these wore out with the using through hard times. The fabric in them is so good, I'm thinking I might be able to repurpose it somehow, but for now, I'm just folding these and admiring their colors and textures!

The next black trash bag contained a lavender 30's railroad crossing quilt..I saw the hand quilting stitches and nearly cried! In fact...I think I did...cuz Jeff came running down from his room to find out what was going on!

And it just got better the farther I went into this big box! The one that really made my heart sing is the Sunflower quilt from the late 1800's....There just aren't words to describe how it felt to hold this quilter's work in my hands, knowing she is long gone, yet her stitches remain.

I have no idea if these were collected quilts? Or if they had been passed down through one family? I just don't KNOW!! But I do know that I will cherish them and love them and fondle them and dream over them, and love their fabrics, their colors, their quirkyness...

I left comments on each picture in webshots...so you might need to click the link to get over there and look at them in the album instead of just watch the slide show..but..man...I'm just humbled, and tickled, and awed, and....I don't have words to thank the person (whoever you are in Annapolis!) for gifting me with these wonderful quilts. THANK YOU!

40 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:08 AM EDT

    OMG! Fabulous!

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  2. Wow Bonnie, you are one lucky lady! And, having a dog, cat, and two kids, I love that carpet the color of dirt...lol. Hope you have a great trip this week.

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  3. All I can say is just, WOW! You are so lucky to have received those wonderful antique quilts. Somebody knows how deserving you are.

    Annie
    : )

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  4. Anonymous10:30 AM EDT

    Miss Bonnie, I was watching the slideshow and my daughter asked, "Are you jealous?" and I told her that I wasn't jealous, I was excited for you because if anyone deserves quilt treasures to arrive out of the blue on her doorstep...it's you! Thanks for sharing them, they are wonderful!

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  5. Oh my goodness! It is so nice that someone would send them you to appreciate their simplicity and beauty!!! What a special gift.

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  6. Bonnie,
    What a lucky and blessed lady you are. Christmas came early, huh?
    Renea in Tennessee

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  7. How wonderful to recieve such a wnderful gift, I sure would love to be on the other end of such a fanrastic parcel, I am sure you will enjoy and appreciate those quilts and imagine who pieced and quilted them, when you look at them.

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  8. Holy Smokes Bonnie! That is an amazing gift! No wonder you are gobsmacked. Was the embroidery done by hand? What precious box of treasures!

    My favourite colour for flooring is also the colour of dirt.

    I got your books in the mail last week, they are absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much for autographing and personalizing them.

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  9. OH, MY. GOSH. Why doesn't anyone ever send me a box like that? What treasures!!

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  10. WOW...I would LOVE to get your mail for a day...minus the bills of course.

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  11. oh wow Lucky you Bonnie!!! I can completely understand how someone would what you to have them b/c they know that you will truly appreciate them! I'm curious if you will finish up the UFO in there.. ;)

    Love from Texas! ~bonnie

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  12. What a treasure! I love them all. I don't know what I would do if I was blessed with an old quilt but to be given a whole box..you are one lucky lady. Enjoy! Wishing I was there to see them in person ... to look at the colors and textures. I'm just a little jealous :) Thanks for sharing.

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  13. What an absolute treasure box you received. If only quilts could talk and tell their stories. You are so fortunate to receive these precious quilts, unbelievable really. a

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  14. How awesome! The hexagon quilt looks very similar to a *mostly* finished quilt my grandma left behind that I've inherited. Interestingly enough, I grew up right down the road from Annapolis, and actually lived there in my twenties! Have fun with your new treasures! :)

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  15. Lucky you! This person knows their heirlooms will be safe with you.
    Jeane

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  16. I always say "someone's Grandma in heaven is happy" When I see old quilts find new, loving homes. You have the ultimate secret pal! Thanks for sharing. They are beautiful!

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  17. Hey Bonnie~~
    WOW What an awesome surprise! I don't know "Sue", but I think I'd like to meet her! I notice that she's from The Finger Lakes area of New York State! That's our second home! My husband and I have a teeny-tiny lakehouse on the 2nd largest lake, Cayuga, in the town of Cayuga. We spend a good portion of the summer there visiting family. My husband's family is from the area. There are about 12 lakes of varying size that comprise Tthe Finger Lakes, located in
    Central New York~ right dab in the "center" of the state...go figure! Cayuga Lake is between Syracuse to the north and Ithaca to the south. So, now thatyou have your geographical lesson for the day, if yo could check w/ Sue and see if it's ok to give out her info, like an e-mail address, that would be great. I'd love to findout if she' close to us! We hope to re-build and retire there in about 5 years~ it'd be great to know a quilter, or two for when that time comes! Maybe we could even hook-up when we're there this summer!!
    Enjoy your goodies!!

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  18. Anonymous1:39 PM EDT

    Almost speechless!!!!!!!!! They certainly were given to a very deserving lady.

    Blessings,
    Jilly

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  19. WOW ! How wonderful! So-Fro Fabrics, I remember that store.

    That box is sooo Amazing!

    This person is very kind. I would love to know the story behind these quilts.

    Enjoy Bonnie!

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  20. Amazing! The quilting in that railroad crossing is inspirational!

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  21. Hi Bonnie,

    Opening that box of quilted treasures made your day, but your sharing of the event has made mine.

    Thanks, Shelley

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  22. Oh I love them all! But that circle quilting on that one is soooo cool!

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  23. Wow! What a treasure box!

    And a So Fro bag! I used to work there. I wish they were still around.

    Enjoy your gift!

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  24. Oh Bonnie...what a treasure! I am glad that someone just knew you were the person to send them to and now we all can enjoy a bit of them! What a gift!

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  25. Anonymous8:25 PM EDT

    What gorgeous old quilts, I just love that era of quilting with feedsacks. How absolutely wonderful, and generous of the person who sent them - obviously she knew they would be treasured by you. Lucky you!

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  26. Wow! This is truely a gift in every sense of the word.

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  27. Bonnie,

    Well all I can say is that your anonymous benefactor picked the right person to entrust those quilted treasures to.

    I have to say that my favorite is the lavender RR Xing quilt and I'm hoping that it's the inspiration for a future Quiltville "mystery quilt".

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  28. Bonnie, enjoy your new treasures, they are really beautiful. Someone knew where to send them where they will be loved and appreciated.

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  29. Anonymous7:22 AM EDT

    How wonderful what a gist to receive.
    enjoy
    Christine

    ps. one day I come to the US and just purchase one quilt, quilt top .

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  30. Oh my goodness......she could have made a fortune on ebay!
    Have you figured out who it is yet?

    what a breathtakingly amazing thing to receive.......wow!

    Happy sewing and welcome home!

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  31. I would be speechless too! What a treasure, lucky you! Enjoy and cherish them!

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  32. Carpet the color of dirt....GENIUS!!!

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  33. Fantastic, just like you I love old quilts, last year I bought my first antique quilttop in Seattle on a quiltshow, this year I bought two other ones, I'm still busy to quilt them again, and I prefer handquilting. It feels so good to make "new quilts" of them. bye bye Caro (The Hague Netherlands) http://www.caro-en-rob.blogspot.com

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  34. You must have fallen over! What a wonderful treat and an amazing surprise.

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  35. Oh. My. Goodness. What a box of treasures, and they made their way to the right person! I especially love the sunflower quilt, but the others are great too. They appear to be in good condition and hand quilted! You do so much for the quilting world, they are well deserved. Louise

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  36. Anonymous9:03 AM EDT

    No way!! I saw your post on FB but am just getting over here to check this out. I could barely stand to watch the webshots photo stream... it was stunning!!

    The pink & blue one said it wants to come and live in IL with me. :) Yummy!!!

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  37. Wow, those quilts are amazing. Thanks for sharing.

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  38. Those are so very beautiful! Thank you for sharing them with us. I just sat awe inspired at all the talent that was used to make them. You are blessed Bonnie! May God pour out a blessing on the person that gave so freely and humbly!

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  39. Aw, I can't get it to play!!! I wanted to see them so badly. Congratulations though. It couldn't happen to a nicer person.

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