Her Great-Great-Great-Grandmother's Quilt

Many, many years ago, long before Moriah was born, a woman named Della pieced a quilt.  Painstakingly cutting fabric to the right size and shapes, arranging the colorful pieces in a pleasing-to-the-eye order, bending over the material to sew the pieces together, she worked, having no idea that someday, a bundle of sweetness named Moriah--her great-great-great-granddaughter--would be laid on that very quilt and have her picture taken.

I discovered anew this quilt in my linen closet a few months ago when I was preparing our guest room for the arrival of Jeff's mom.  Because the comforter that had been on that bed was dirty, I searched for something different to cover the bed; and when I pulled this old quilt out of the closet, I found a note with it.

It says (in the handwriting of my paternal grandmother Olive, with a few additions in my mother's handwriting):
This double wedding ring quilt top was pieced by my grandmother Della Fike back prior to 1941--I had it put together and quilted I think by the women of Maple Spring Church of the Brethren. Eglon, West Va.  Grandma pieced one for each of us that wanted one.  I am giving it to Barbara [my mother] because she has done so much for us.
Jan. 9, 1990
Olive F. Huffman

Six generations.

An old lady and a new baby who will never know each other in this life.

Connected by one quilt.

Each stitch Della patiently made stitched together not just a variety of patterned fabrics.

It stitched together time...and space...and hearts...and a sense of family identity.  Of belonging.  In Moriah, there is a little piece of Della.

As I was taking these pictures of Moriah this morning, Shav was watching; and when I finished, he desperately wanted to be allowed to take some pictures of her, too.  "OK," I said as I handed the camera over to him, "I'll sit here with Moriah, and you can take some pictures of both of us!"  Thinking about how significant it would be to have a picture with both Della's great-great-granddaughter and great-great-great-granddaughter on this special quilt, I eagerly checked the pictures when he was done.  Believe it or not, this was the best one.  :)

I think it would make Della smile.  ;-)