Granny Smith: a historic quilt
This is the first ever Historic Quilt by Vintage Giggles. As you may know, these are quilts that were made many decades ago and then restored and finished by our team. These come with an added treasure, however; each historic quilt that we present to you will have a story that goes with it. This story will be inspired by the quilt itself, and contain elements of historical accuracy, but the story itself will be fiction. For that reason, we call this it’s Hollywood Story.
And now, we present to you “Granny Smith.”
Straight from the northern Appalachian Mountains, this quilt holds the charm of our grandmothers, or great grandmothers and the things they enjoyed best.
Upon waking before the sunrise each morning, Granny would wash her face and pin back her thin white hair in a tiny bun, seemingly containing more bobby pins than strands of hair. Next, she'd walk to the kitchen and wrap her worn out apron around her waist and secure it with a limp bow tied in the back. It was once puffy and stiff, but after years of baking, it now hangs delicately with some frayed edges where the stitches have pulled out and the fabric is unraveling.
It has a divided pocked in the front that’s slightly gathered as to expand when it needs to hold more.
After sitting for a cup of tea in the quiet dark kitchen, the sunlight is just starting to fill the handmade curtains above her kitchen sink.
"Those ladies must be getting fiesty," she mumbles to herself, as she slips on her oversized and permanently creased leather boots. Time to let the chickens out and gather the eggs. She usually can count on six, just enough for a pie, a batch of biscuits and two more to cook in the cast iron for breakfast.
On her way back to the kitchen, she notices the morning dew awakening the sweet fragrance of her basil as she passes. She pauses, pulls her snippers from her apron pocket and snips a few large sized leaves. That will be a nice touch to the eggs, she thinks.
After carefully emptying the eggs into her wire basket and placing the basil in a damp cloth for later, she places two bowls on her countertop. Time to make apple pie.
The orchard down the road just put out the season's first picking of yellowish green skinned Granny Smiths. Those are her favorite to bake with, well second to rhubarb, because the tartness allows for a little extra sugar, and who doesn't like a little extra sugar?
Once the pie goes in the oven, that gives her just enough time to make the biscuits and eggs for breakfast. This is her daily cadence. She doesn’t have to think about the recipe, cooking times or ingredients. She hums softly as she wipes the counters clean and prepares to
sit for breakfast.
With a satisfied appetite, she changes her nearly worn thin apron for a heavier duty one. This one has dirt ground into the seams and is sun bleached on the top. This is her gardening apron, and if you don't find Granny in the kitchen, you’ll find her in her rose garden.
She happily snips and prunes, plucking off what is no longer growing, and pulling out any uninvited weeds that have pushed their way in since the day before. The hairs from her bun are starting to fall and frame her jawline, but she’s not bothered. She's busy talking to the birds and noticing one or two new songs from foreign birds passing through. Her basket is near full as she gathers the best cuts to garnish her friend's table later this afternoon for the weekly ladies lunch and bridge gathering.
You'll find the colors in this quilt faded and the threads a little worn. Allow the colors to illustrate the vision of a happy Granny humming and going through her quiet morning routine. She takes joy in the simple things that she sees. The corners of her kitchen have some eternal flour pressed into them, but her life is simple, and she is happy.
Use this quilt as a centerpiece for your kitchen table, or as a companion to keep you warm as you fly across the county to visit family. Welcome a new generation and give this to a newborn baby as if to carry on the simple joys and traditions of former generations. Or, simply drape it over the back of your reading chair because it makes you happy.
Quilt Size: 31” x 30”
Price: $140
