Personal Nature of Crazies
What makes a Crazy Quilt so personal? It is the nature of what we ourselves put into a “crazie”. My first crazie holds such personal meaning for me. There are fabrics from my best friend, silk ties from my husband, lace from my wedding dress and so much more. But it is also the time that is invested which can never be replaced or that I would never want to replace. It is time sitting with the dogs in my lap and trying to do intricate embroidery with the dog licking your hand. It is the time sitting next to my husband whom I adore even after 30 plus years! So many memories and yet it was the start of something new as well. I never thought that I would be doing what I am today… (writing a blog…who me???)…teaching classes…encouraging ladies to seek their passion and enjoy the simple art of embroidery and Crazy Quilting. Anyway when I made my first crazie, my husband encouraged me to write something which would tell someone in the future all of the intimate details of my crazie. So I decided to write a poem which would at least give others a hint of the meaning that this quilt has had for me even if I’m not there to tell them. Read it and weep…I do.
My Secret Garden
My Secret Garden; filled with reminders of my favorite things
Love of sewing and quilting and tea; love of gardening and God’s creation
Flowers and plants, ivy and wheat; daisies, roses and violets
Worth beyond beauty
Buttons connecting, old and new; buttons from my favorite clothes
Antique buttons, large and small buttons; bumblebee, dragonfly and ladybug buttons
Flower and leaf buttons; oval, round and square buttons
Worth beyond beauty
Embellishments, old and new; antique hankies and new hankies
Eyelet lace and antique lace; lace from my wedding dress
Plain laces and frilly laces; butterflies, fans, hats, hearts and ribbons
Baubles, beads, pearls and trinkets; a spider web just for luck
Worth beyond beauty
A lifetime of learning, old and new; handwork and embroidery
Needle punch and silk ribbon work; accordion roses and bullion roses
Ribbon, satin and spider roses; blanket, bullion and herringbone stitches,
Chain, cretan and cross stitches; fern, feather, and fly stitches
Running, satin and straight stitches; laced and woven stitches
Buttonhole and lazy daisy stitches; french knots galore
Worth beyond beauty
Pieces of memories, old and new; batiks, chenille and cotton
Satin, silk, velvet, and wool; fabric from my favorite chair
Fabric from my best friend, fabrics left from other quilts, and fabrics from my stash
Silk neckties from my husband, my partner, my love
Worth beyond beauty
All the colors of the rainbow; arrayed in my Secret Garden
Reminders of treasures gained; my husband, my family, my friends and my God
A garden filled with blessings; faith, hope, and love
Worth beyond beauty
— Rita Meyerhoff (2007)