Special Pieces

We recently researched the care of old quilts and found out we were storing ours all wrong. I had our mid-1800's wool quilt in our cedar chest. Wrong, they say. It is best to spread an old quilt out on a guest bed when not in use. That way the weight is distributed evenly.

So, now we have it on display in a guest bedroom. It's kind of fun seeing it again. The quilt is made of wool, the most unusual thing about the quilt, I think. It is a hand-pieced and tied quilt made by one of the early Arney women and was brought to Iowa in a covered wagon. The Arney's settled near the Iowa River in Marshall County. This was my father's mother's family.

We acquired the quilt at my parent's farm auction. Bidding against us was an antique dealer from the East Coast. But, John was determined to get the quilt for me and he did. It isn't perfect; there are several holes probably from use and age. After all it is at least 171 years old.

"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse,"(Matthew 9:16 NIV).

I can't repair the holes in the quilt because I don't have any old wool. So we will enjoy it as it is, knowing my ancestors used it on the long cold nights in Iowa and on their way to Iowa. God allowed them to make the trip. I hope they would be happy to know the quilt is still admired by family.