Aletha Mae's Ozark Quilt

To me, this is the perfect example of 
an Ozark Mountain quilt.

  This quilt was made by my

mother, Aletha Mae, when she was

77 years old and given to me to be USED.
Yes, a quilt is a pretty thing, but around here

it's for keeping you warm, a picnic at
 the creek or a pallet for a sleeping baby.

This photo of my Mother, Aletha Mae, (right)

and her sister Virginia Lou was taken in front

of the Cedar Creek School, Taney County. 

 One teacher, one room, wood heat and an

 outhouse.  Mother says it had a well and all
the children drank from the same dipper. 

 

When Mother (front row center) 

started school, she was the only first

 grader, so she was bumped up to the second

 grade.  All the little boys are wearing

 coveralls....still popular around here!  

It's sewn completely by hand.

 Every block is a different color 
 and made from scraps.

 

I asked my Mother what the pattern

is called, she said  "Oh, just a pretty one."

Does anyone know?

My Mother was raised in a two-room

log cabin with a dirt floor. She carried water
 from a spring, learned to cook on a wood stove,
 did homework by the light from an oil
lamp, and used an outdoor privy.  As the
 depression ravaged the country, most folks
 around here didn't even notice.  

The back of this quilt is a bed sheet,
 not a new 500 count Egyptian cotton,
 but a well worn sheet.

Frugality was a way of life for
Ozark Mountain folks. 
Growing up one of my chores was to 
wash, dry and fold the aluminum foil, as
it was used several times.  Same goes
for the margarine tubs and plastic bags!
(I must admit aluminum foil was
 much heavier years ago!)

  

My Grandma Ethyl is coolin' me
 off in the river, yes, she's fully dressed
 and wearing her bonnet.  You don't need a
swimsuit to take a dip in the crik, we
call it Ozark air-conditioning.  I'm
 sure there's a pretty quilt on the bank.

Look closely... notice how short the

pieces in the bottom row are.  Those

scraps were a bit small, but used

anyway.  Mother says, "Make do with

what you have." 

This quilt has never seen a ruler

or rotary cutter. 

 Mother talks about the the quilting bees

and the "fine" quilts the old timers made, and

apologized for her uneven large stitches.

 

She doesn't realize it, but she's one of the

 last "old timers" of a truly simple life and

  bygone era.  Her quilt might not win

 first place in a big city quilt show, but to

 me it's an "extra fine" Ozark quilt.

It's my treasure and don't tell Mama,

but it's NEVER used!

Aletha Mae is 81 years old and

still works on her quilt blocks

when her health permits.  

Happy Birthday Mama!