Marvelous Marie #4: Pixelated Posies

I’ve noticed that pixilation quilts and blocks have started to become popular. My Aunt Marie was ahead of her time! She quilted a amazing example of pixeled posies in a quilt. It’s also been one of my favorites. In fact, I’ve wanted to make one just like it, but probably in different colors.

Here’s her enchanting quilt!

This is a close-up of one of the blocks:

There are lots of little blocks in that one square. I believe they were 1-1/2 inches in size. 

When I inherited Aunt Marie’s quilts, I let each of my children pick one they wanted. Nancy Drew picked the Mystery Stars. TGS picked the Orange Poppies with Red Quilting, which I have not written about. I also let my Sisty Ugler and my DMIL (who quilts) pick one.

My DMIL chose this quilt, which explains why I don’t have better pictures of it.

My new mission, intrepid as I am, is to ask my family to send me the quilts so I can photograph them  When I started taking pictures of quilts, I didn't do a very good job. (fine example above!) Now I know how to get much better detail, to take more close-ups of quilting, blocks, backing and other notable features.

I will also get the quilt appraised at the same time. I get such helpful information from an appraiser. I will be thrilled to hear about the pattern, the fabrics, the time period and quality of construction.

Since I have so little information on this quilt, I'll tell you a story about my Aunt and Uncle.

Aunt Marie and Uncle Elbert lived in the Santa Ana hills outside Anaheim, CA. My uncle, who was a carpenter, built a home for them in the 1950s. They lived there until the 1970s. The area they lived in was susceptible to the wild Santa Ana winds. When the winds were combined with a wildfire, it was extremely dangerous.

At a time when I was in high school, just such a fire was in the area where my aunt and uncle lived. My uncle was hosing down the house and some of the grounds around it, hoping to protect the house from catching fire. He sent my aunt ahead of him and continued to hose down the house.

When it was time, the only thing that mattered to him was to save Aunt Marie’s beautiful quilts. He grabbed them and put them in the back of his truck and headed down the long gravel road to the highway.

This gravel road had been dug through a medium-sized hill to make a small road. The hill rose up on either side of the road, about six feet higher than his truck.

The fire was on one side and jumping the road to the other side. As he drove down the road, a piece of smoldering wood landed on one of Aunt Marie’s quilts. Uncle Elbert immediately got out and began hitting it with his bare hands. He put it out and then continued down the road.

All of the quilts made it safely to less treacherous spot. There was just a small spot on the quilt where the burning piece had landed.

My heart always aches and is proud at the same time. The most precious possession that my uncle wanted to save in a fire were his beloved wife’s quilts! The scene of him jumping out of his truck and killing the spark with his bare hands is amazing.

There was good news all around, the house was safe and the grounds around it were also not burnt.

My uncle was his wife’s biggest fan. He always wanted to show off her marvelous quilts. He was a taciturn guy, but he showed his big heart that day.