Christmas Past

Does this look like Christmas Past? I can only imagine someone in the early 20th century put this together at Christmas. It's a quirky little (actually rather large)crazy quilt with the odd addage of brown. Who would have ever thought to add that to the Christmasy feeling of this piece. My Aunt Helen gave this to me in March of this year and I wanted to use it for everyday. Mom thought and thought about this for days before she knew the perfect place to hang it.....over my banister overlooking the family room. People either love it or think I'm shopping in dumpsters. There's so much to it, applique, lots of kinds of stitches, curved piecing, on and on. Wools and some velvets....warmer than warm...I'm thinking it's the whole covered wagon scene with three little ones underneath trying to keep their toes from going numb.

Here's a few of our stockings - I love the old ones and the antique lace. My mother put the lacy ones together for the girls. Can you see the satin burgundy ribbon under the lace? It's so subtle and keeps the viewer guessing a little at how much beauty is in there.

I love the use of vintage fabrics. Such odd use of color but I think it works, somehow. Look at the toe and the heel. That's a bright red and an olive green mixed with the blues and orangey pinks. Love it. That one belongs to baby girl.
Take a look at the blue one below:

Does anyone know what kind of work this is called. Mom gave me these a long time ago and we used them last Christmas to decorate her apartment. She lived with us for a year and a half before she died in May of this year. What a sense of design she had. I'm sure the ribbon was something off of a package or dress. She saved anything that was lovely. What about the little bouquet of applique "tied" to the ribbon? She layered and layered. You can't see it but it's tied to the banister with a piece on chiffon ribbon. Texture, layer, complementary colors...I'm learning. Even after they are long gone, our parents are still teaching us. I loved that time I had with her, what an honor, she was special in so many ways.... after all... it's all about the heart.