Nettie's Quilts

 Cultivating (2021 word of year) Culture - my family stories: 

My grandma (Roach) Kincaid's name was Nettie.  Her family was from Kentucky.  I don't know many stories but, the ones I do are sad.  Her dad and brothers followed the logging crews from site to site.  She explained to me that they lived in something like a boxcar.  When she was very young, her mama passed on.   This left her the "woman" of the house.   She told me that these logging camps had a school for the children.  She would get up early, mix up her bread and then during the break from school, run back, punch it down and make loaves to rise.  They would be ready for baking when she finished school.  What a tough little lady.  She was tiny, red head with a fiesty spirit to match.  I will share more about her in future posts.  

It was mid 1970's and as a young girl, I watched her dig in rag bags.  Do you know what a rag bag is?  In a time when one repurposed out of necessity, you saved any old piece of fiber to repurpose into something.  She often had others give her their rag bags too.  I can still see her, sitting in her chair, in the living room, needle and thread in hand, digging in a bag for "just the right" piece to fit in with the next one.  Sometimes she cut them, othertimes, she made them work with the shape they were in like a crazy quilt.  She made a quilt for each grandchild - well, at least that is what she told me as she stiched the one she was working on.  I was mesermized watching the needle go in and out, attaching each piece to the next.  She set me up with a needle, thread and scraps and this wonderful memory.  Oh, I can hear her whisle and hum as she worked.  

This quilt was not made by her, rather it is one that will be offered on Tuesday, February 9 in a virtual LIVE sale.  The link to my online group is here:  Town Hall Trinkets On Line Estate Sales you can always click on the link in the sidebar too.  

If this old quilt could talk, what stories it would tell.  I wonder where the pieces of fabric came from, was it an old dress, shirt or even a feed sack?  This one has wool bat, others will be more of a summer quilt top.  The LIVE is called "warm and wonderfully loved" - if you are interested, check it out on Tuesday, LIKE my page Town Hall Trinkets, LLC and JOIN the group.   Shipping available.   Thanks.

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.