In the smaller bedroom of our master bedroom suite at Red Oak House, in the winter, I have as a coverlet the quilt made by my namesake, my Grandma Lillie, probably sometime in the mid 1960s. My mother, Marian, can still tell me about each piece of fabrics’ original use, the dresses and aprons and shirts, which were repurposed by my frugal grandmother into this quilt. The bedroom furniture was a gift from her parents to my mother when she turned 16. I’ve refinished it. Quality pieces last many lifetimes. I think I sleep better on long North Dakota winter nights under this quilt. I love the color yellow.
On the walls seen in this picture are the posters of noted North Dakota artist Walter Piehl, for a real mix of early-20th century and late-20th century North Dakota arts. The book of daily Tao meditations was a gift from a great friend, Steve Robbins, of Kansas.
In this picture Lizzie, our endlessly amusing springer spaniel, snores away on the floor rug, a frequent barrier to our to-ing and fro-ing. She’s had a rather boring winter so far and doesn’t give one wit about Tao meditations or quilts, but when we leave her home alone, she does like to jump up on the bed and take a nap, so I try to remember to close the doors to this room when I leave. If there is a reincarnation, I want to come back as Jim’s Springer Spaniel.
2 thoughts on “LILLIAN CROOK: WildDakotaWoman —My Grandma Lillie’s Quilt And My Mother’s Bedroom Furniture”
LILLIAN CROOK: WildDakotaWoman — Red Oak House Winter Notes No. 4: On Being Named Lillian – UNHERALDED.FISH January 30, 2019 at 6:39 am
[…] written once about my Grandma Lilly’s quilt. I have but a few memories of her including standing next to her in the Slope County farmhouse […]
ReplyKaren Bryan January 30, 2019 at 3:42 pm
I love the business about your mother remembering where the fabrics came from. My grandmother was an avid quilter (I can still see her sitting around the quilting frames she had, surrounded by ladies from her Mormon congregation, stitching away). My sister is also an extremely skilled quilter, but she’s got all the machines to do it with (in a dedicated room). A relative of ours recently brought a beautiful quilt to a gathering that included two of my sisters–an intricate pattern of red roses on a white background. It was made by our mutual great-great-grandmother and her sister, and is in pristine condition. Those ladies were artists.
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