3-Generation Memory Quilt

Our cabin quilt hangs on the back of the couch, ready to be snuggled under.

Fergusons’ Carolina Cabin 1996

We are in North Carolina at our mountain cabin in the High Country, between Boone and Banner Elk, the source of inspiration for this quilt.  As usual, one of the first things we did was check the quilt to see if it had suffered any noticeable wear and tear from our guests.  As usual, the quilt was fine and we took a quick stroll down memory lane as we examined it. 

The all flannel quilt is machine quilted, with each applique’d heart capturing a memory identified by text. It was made with the fanciest machine of the day, the Pfaff 7550.  It was to-die for!  I doubted I would ever want another machine. Note:  I grew older and wiser very shortly after that! But it is still a wonderful machine.

Camp Broadstone 1988-1995

Before it was ours, the cabin was owned by friends who had children  the same ages as our Ryan and Rebecca.  Martha had located terrific Camp Broadstone just 20 minutes from the cabin and shared this information with her friends.  Each summer she led a caravan of mothers and little girls from our home in central Florida to this cabin.  We were packed tight that first night, with giggling girls sprawled on the floor and tucked into the loft.

The children were dropped off at camp the next day and for two glorious weeks the moms delighted in the cool mountain weather and  respite from the responsibilities of home and family.   In our nightgowns, we drank coffee on the front deck until mid-morning, then shopped or read or chatted.  I smocked.

 After we picked up our daughters from camp,  we came home to Florida the next day, after spending time at the Mast General Store and the Candy Barrel.

In 1996, after Rebecca had aged out of camp, we bought that same cabin.  I was beside myself with excitement so I made this quilt.  In that cold and bitter January, we drove to Boone for the closing and a short ski holiday at our new vacation home.

A week before we were to leave, I  reminded Bob that he needed to arrange for the power to be turned on in our name.  “Sure, Honey, I’ll take care of it.”

A few days later, I reminded him to arrange the water to be turned on and learned that he hadn’t yet taken care of the power.  But he assured me that he would get it done that day.  A day later, he still had not made arrangements for these critical connections.

I called his office to remind him that there were only two business days left to get this done. Then I dropped the activation bomb– we had to get the cable connected.

Call about cable

“OH  NO!!! I’ll call them right now!  Goodbye!”  He hung up and immediately took care of all three tasks.

We’re into the third generation of Fergusons who have retreated to this cozy cabin for family fun and renewal.  The quilt records memories from the early years and now, those memorable activities are being relived by generation #3, our grandchildren.

There are blocks featuring Grandfather Mountain, gem mining, skiing at HawksNest, and more.

Last fall, Laurel, Robert and Alastair went to the Candy Barrel and the Mast General.  They hiked Grandfather Mountain, went gem mining and climbed the rocks behind the cabin.  When their thin Florida blood couldn’t keep them warm, they huddled under this quilt and watched the Gator football games on tv.

Now that Laurel and Robert can read, they enjoy examining the quilt as if it were a check list, noting what they have already done and planning what they will do when they are a little older.  Skiing is a high priority.  Soon, Alastair will make his own memories with this quilt.

In a few days, Robert and Laurel will join us here.  We’ll go to the Candy Barrel, the Mast General, the gem mine and visit Camp Broadstone.  Perhaps next summer Laurel will be a camper there.  If she does, she’ll take this quilt for her bunk.

As I look at the quilt now, I think of how much better it could be.   If I replaced it with a new one featuring machine embroidery instead of little applique’d patches of novelty fabric,  with really special machine quilting  and with lettering that you could read even if you didn’t already know what it said, the quilt would be more attractive.

But it wouldn’t be the quilt that I placed here so proudly in 1996.  It wouldn’t be the quilt that my children snuggled under before they had children of their own. It wouldn’t be  the quilt that we spread on the front deck for the babies to play and nap on.

If I do make another, it won’t be a replacement.  I’ll keep this one.