If you look very closely, you may be able to see the delicate handwork in this baby bonnet, made by my great great grandmother, Julia, for her daughter, Jessie, who was my great grandmother. I finally felt comfortable getting it out of storage because I bought a glass dome to protect it.Since Jesse Weeks was born in 1857 and this is so tiny, it must have been made that year in order to fit her, so the bonnet is around 150 years old. Boggles the mind, doesn't it?
And if that isn't "special" enough consider this:
Notice the beautiful quilt underneath the plate (family heirloom also) and Jesse's bonnet. This was a Christmas gift this year from my special college friend, Nina. She and I got to quilting a while back and we have made many since then. Her attention to detail is remarkable. This piece is in "my" colors--Nina knows these things even with 100s of miles and dozens of years in between us. It fits right into my dining room with its two-toned walls, both gold and brick red.
I knew I would love Nina even before she was my roommate in college. The name Nina has a long family history, you see. Nina was my grandmother's sister. Of all the great aunts who swarmed through my girlhood, Nina was my favorite. So my sis, Nina, started out on a good foot with me even before we met in 1966. I saw her name and knew I would love her.
I love the juxtaposition of the old and new in this photo: family and adopted sis-family, something very old (Jesse's bonnet) on this antique desk (also family heirloom-belonged to my mother's sister Harriet) and something very new (little-sis-Nina's quilt). Both handwork of the most exquisite nature. I think I'm going to leave them both there for the time being, even though I know I should put the bonnet into storage again. I just can't separate these two beautiful creations! They've come together across 150 years of women creating things by hand.
