Recalling falls of yore

To the Editor:

Have you ever seen a more lovely fall? Could use a bit more rain, but still lovely. Fall is my favorite time of the year. That started when I was growing up on this lovely farm. We all worked hard on this farm, which I have never minded one bit. I was happy to see fall arrive.

One thing that I remember Mother doing every fall and winter for years, Mother would piece comfort blocks and made such lovely and warm comforts for all of the family. Mother would say the garden and canning is done, I will make some comforts now. Those comforts sure did feel good back then, when not many had such warm houses as we have now. No one had even heard of an electric blanket. Many did not have electricity. I know some of Mother's sisters and sisters-in-law made quilts. Mother never made a quilt, that I can remember.

Where Mother found the address or info to order beautiful woolen scraps from the woolen mills in the Carolinas I do not know. But Mother ordered a lot of material from them. I can see Mother sitting at the treddle sewing machine, making those blocks, then I would embroidery all of the seams, with embroidery thread.

I have one of those kinds of comforts that was my grandparents, could even be my great-grandparents. In wonderful condition. I just had this comfort dry cleaned recently.

I am a great collector of quilt tops. Every time we go on a trip I have to stop at all flea markets and junk stores. I can still find some of the beautiful quit tops, which are hand pieced. I am sure the tops were made a few days ago. Does anyone piece quilt tops by hand any more? I am making quilt tops for my granddaughters now. But I am making on the sewing machine. I am not much of a hand sewer.

When I think of all of the hours that ladies spend on making these quilts it bothers me that the quilts are going to be put on a bed and given such hard use. I have one hanging on my living room wall all of the time. When Don comes in off the boat, he saw, I guess, that I must have changed the quilt. Must tell you I do not quilt the quilts. My back is just too worn out.

If you have had the good fortune of having a hand pieced and hand quilted quilt, do appreciate and enjoy that quilt. Those kind of quilts may become very rare . . .

Irma Houts Epps

Poplar Bluff, Mo.