The Wisdom of Our Elders
As I cut a piece of burgundy thread and pull it through the material, I remember the tip my Nanny taught me about tying knots. My Nanny is a remarkable quilter. Over time, she has passed some of her knowledge on to me.
When I was little, my Nanny made everyone in my family a quilt. I let my dog to sleep on the quilt she made for me. On several occasions, I spilled food on it. It was obvious I didn’t appreciate the gift.
When I got a little older, I developed an interest in crafts. My Nanny took the opportunity to teach me how to sew. I started with little projects, and eventually I decided to make my own quilt. When I told her the idea, my Nanny got excited. I was the only one in my family who had shown any interest in learning to quilt.
We spent a lot of time talking about details like pattern, batting, and materials. I enjoyed the hours we spent piecing the quilt together. My Nanny told me stories about when she was younger and how her mother-in-law had taught her how to sew. Through our discussions I began to learn others things as well. She told me about how, growing up, she grew vegetables and canned food. And how she saved money by going to yard sales. When she was younger, money was tight. That’s why she had learned to cut corners by sewing clothes.
I realized it wasn’t just my Nanny who was teaching me. I was learning a skill that had been passed down for generations. By learning to quilt from my Nanny I was carrying on a family tradition. Nanny’s stories helped me understand and value the knowledge she was passing on to me.
Once the top piece was together, I thought the hard part was behind us. Reality hit when my Nanny surprised me with a quilt frame. She explained that this rather large wooden structure would help me complete the second part of the quilt. I was slightly discouraged to find I still had another couple months of work to go, but my Nanny was eager to help me. I guess her excitement rubbed off, because I began to enjoy myself. I spent hours sitting at the quilt frame sewing and talking with my Nanny.
I finished that quilt, and I’ve begun two others. In today’s society, quilting is a dying art. I’m very proud to have learned it from my Nanny. One day I hope to be able to pass the skill on to someone else in my family. As I teach them, I’ll tell them about how my Nanny taught me. I now see that our elders have a great deal of knowledge they can pass on to younger generations . . . if we are willing to take the time to learn. Because of my Nanny and the quilt, I believe in the value of our elders and the knowledge they posses.
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