The Warmth of Kith and Kin
A quick break from pregnancy news to recognize two of Baby G's great-grandmothers and their special contributions to Baby G...
Hilda
Mommy G's maternal grandmother, Hilda, was born in 1917 in Poplar, County of London, England. She lived through the Blitz of London in World War II - famously delivering Mommy G's mother (Nana H) while hiding under her bed during an air raid.
She made her living as a seamstress, working for a London department store and as a private dressmaker. The wedding dresses worn by both of her daughters were created by her own hand. In the mid-1960s, Hilda moved to the US and settled in West Los Angeles. Her first job in the States was making sample dresses for for a dress designer. Later, she spent time working for Motherhood Maternity, again making product samples.
After retiring from her professional career, Hilda moved to San Marcos (near San Diego) and continued to sew for the family. One project of hers was to make blankets for the first child born to each of her grandchildren. The blankets would all be white, and the trim would be blue or pink, depending on the gender of the baby. Her first great-grandchild, born in 2006, received her pink and white blanket shortly thereafter.
However, as Hilda's health began to deteriorate, she decided to get a head start on the remaining blankets, despite the fact that neither of her granddaughters were pregnant. She completed one more white blanket, leaving the trim to be added once a child of known gender was on the way. Unfortunately, this would be as far as she would get, as Hilda passed away on New Year's Eve 2006, just a few months before Baby G was conceived. Nana H will be completing the trim on this blanket once Baby G's gender is known.
Mary
Daddy G's paternal grandmother, Mary, was born in 1913 in Clay Center, Ohio. Her parents were in the process of moving from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin and could not get to a hospital, so she did not receive a birth certificate - causing great troubles later in life when she tried to get a passport. As a girl, she picked up sewing out of necessity as she grew up in a working class family. This became a hobby she would enjoy her entire life, most of which she spent in Ashland, Wisconsin.
In the late 1950s, Mary's eyesight, which had been poor and failing all her life, finally gave out. However, despite being completely blind, she refused to give up her sewing. She continued to make everything from curtains to pajamas, but it was her quilts that quite literally made the headlines.
The only help she would allow was in picking out the fabric. She would take someone to the fabric store with her and tell them the general patterns she had in mind. They would help her pick them out, and then she was on her own. Using a square piece of cardboard, she would cut out squares from each fabric and stack them in their own piles. Then she would stitch the pieces together - using only her sense of touch to guide her. Her remarkable handiwork made her a local celebrity as the "blind quilt lady".
In the late 1990s, as her health started failing, she made one last quilt for each of her five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Shortly after completing this effort, she was moved to assisted living, where she continues to live (albeit in extremely poor health) to this day.
However, just this week I discovered that Mary actually made one final quilt while her health still permitted her. She gave it to my aunt with the instructions that it should be passed on to the next grandchild or great-grandchild to be born. And while my dad was visiting earlier this month, she gave it to him, since Baby G will be that great-grandchild.
Hilda
Mommy G's maternal grandmother, Hilda, was born in 1917 in Poplar, County of London, England. She lived through the Blitz of London in World War II - famously delivering Mommy G's mother (Nana H) while hiding under her bed during an air raid.
She made her living as a seamstress, working for a London department store and as a private dressmaker. The wedding dresses worn by both of her daughters were created by her own hand. In the mid-1960s, Hilda moved to the US and settled in West Los Angeles. Her first job in the States was making sample dresses for for a dress designer. Later, she spent time working for Motherhood Maternity, again making product samples.
After retiring from her professional career, Hilda moved to San Marcos (near San Diego) and continued to sew for the family. One project of hers was to make blankets for the first child born to each of her grandchildren. The blankets would all be white, and the trim would be blue or pink, depending on the gender of the baby. Her first great-grandchild, born in 2006, received her pink and white blanket shortly thereafter.
However, as Hilda's health began to deteriorate, she decided to get a head start on the remaining blankets, despite the fact that neither of her granddaughters were pregnant. She completed one more white blanket, leaving the trim to be added once a child of known gender was on the way. Unfortunately, this would be as far as she would get, as Hilda passed away on New Year's Eve 2006, just a few months before Baby G was conceived. Nana H will be completing the trim on this blanket once Baby G's gender is known.
Mary
Daddy G's paternal grandmother, Mary, was born in 1913 in Clay Center, Ohio. Her parents were in the process of moving from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin and could not get to a hospital, so she did not receive a birth certificate - causing great troubles later in life when she tried to get a passport. As a girl, she picked up sewing out of necessity as she grew up in a working class family. This became a hobby she would enjoy her entire life, most of which she spent in Ashland, Wisconsin.
In the late 1950s, Mary's eyesight, which had been poor and failing all her life, finally gave out. However, despite being completely blind, she refused to give up her sewing. She continued to make everything from curtains to pajamas, but it was her quilts that quite literally made the headlines.
The only help she would allow was in picking out the fabric. She would take someone to the fabric store with her and tell them the general patterns she had in mind. They would help her pick them out, and then she was on her own. Using a square piece of cardboard, she would cut out squares from each fabric and stack them in their own piles. Then she would stitch the pieces together - using only her sense of touch to guide her. Her remarkable handiwork made her a local celebrity as the "blind quilt lady".
In the late 1990s, as her health started failing, she made one last quilt for each of her five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Shortly after completing this effort, she was moved to assisted living, where she continues to live (albeit in extremely poor health) to this day.
However, just this week I discovered that Mary actually made one final quilt while her health still permitted her. She gave it to my aunt with the instructions that it should be passed on to the next grandchild or great-grandchild to be born. And while my dad was visiting earlier this month, she gave it to him, since Baby G will be that great-grandchild.
Comments
Love,
Mareesa