03/24/2025
To Mysti,
My Story as told by a quilt.
This quilt is the result of the 2005-2006 Braided River Quilters Guild challenge in which a particular border print had to be used in every row. Additionally, each row had to meet specific criteria. Each block tells a bit of a story that is my life.
The sewing machine represents my favorite hobby – quilting, and reminds me, with the loose threads, that I still have many unfinished projects that must be completed. It is flanked by 2 hearts, not only representing my 2 machines (a Bernina and my HQ-16 Quilting machine), but more importantly my 2 quilting ancestors who passed their love of quilting to me. My maternal grandmother’s mother, Granny Ellard, while she was bedridden from a broken hip, and near the end of her life, called me up into her bed and taught me how to make yarn flowers and yo-yos. I treasure half of a yo-yo quilt she made during that time (mid 1960’s), which I now have. My first quilt was a yo-yo quilt I made using her old dresses nearly 15 years after her death. My paternal grandmother, Clara Pearson, was an accomplished seamstress and quilter. As a child, I remember seeing a huge quilting frame set up in her living room. I have the baby quilt she made for my father, Jerry Pearson, before he was born, and I have fond memories of cuddling up under it when I was a little girl. Nanny had all boys, like me, but his baby quilt is both pink and blue so that it would work for whichever she had!
The second row of my quilt contains a basket overflowing with flowers which is indicative of my love of gardening and growing flowers. When I have them, I sometimes supply a cut flower arrangement as décor at church.
Look in the very center of the quilt and you will see 4 diamonds. These represent the 4 friends who helped create this quilt for me. Barbara Kliewer, Bonnie Miller, Barbara Lambries, and Marge Kohler each contributed a row to the quilt. The log cabin block not only reminds me of the log cabin quilts I have made, but also brings back childhood memories of when I lived in a turn-of-the-20th-century authentic, remodeled log cabin and also of building an 8x10 log cabin playhouse with my cousin, Sheila Martin, when we were teenagers. On either side of this block, you see a spool of thread – one representing my mother, Peggy Pearson, and the other, her sister, Pat Johnson. It seemed like it took hours for them to scour through a large warehouse, Hancock’s, looking for just the right pieces in the discount bins. While they shopped, we and the cousins wandered through the store and under the tables. Not too much later, after watching them stitch away, we were decked out in new shorts and shirts. I was particularly fascinated watching my aunt operate her treadle machine.
Moving down, you will see 6 hearts – 2 interlocked with an applique heart on top representing my husband, Vince, and me and the love we share for one another. Each corner contains a heart, representing each of my 4 sons, Tony, Michael, Rory, and Jeremy, who have begun flying the coop. To the left, you will find an apple for the teacher – ME! I home-schooled for about 15 years, and even now, continue to teach children at church. Serving the Lord and serving in church is represented by the church block on the right.
Below the loves of my life, you will find a butterfly, representing the most important decision I ever made – that of repenting of my sins and turning to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith. In the same way the caterpillar has a new life as a butterfly, so I have a new life in Christ. Lastly, on either side of the butterfly, you will find 2 canning jars, reminding me of both my grandmothers, Clara Pearson and Lorine Jowers, who canned extensively and who passed that along to my mother, Peggy Pearson; and she to me. I have fond memories of making jelly with Momma and I believe I enjoy gardening, cooking, baking, and having people over for dinner because of her. Moreover, the buttons on the quilt were a gift from Mam-ma (Lorine) a few years before her death. Back then, buttons were salvaged from worn out clothing when possible, so some of these buttons could be very old.
This quilt has additional significance to me because not only did I happen to be the one who designed the Braided River Quilt Guild challenge, but it was also the first item I quilted on my HQ-16 using invisible thread. (above mostly written in 2006).
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Now, in 2025, this quilt has a new owner, Jeremy’s bride, Mysti Valenti – a daughter in LOVE with whom I have so many things in common – our love of the Lord, our love of family, our love of needle arts and quilting, and our loves of quietude, gardening, similar pets, and reading, as well! I am so blessed to be able to give this quilt to someone who appreciates the work and the memories preserved in this quilt and note, and who will enjoy the quilt as much as I enjoyed making it.
With all my love,
Dwynette
March 2025
