Grandma Stahl's Tulip Quilt

Well, now that you've met Edna Dodds -- I'll show you the most beautiful thing she owned.

An extraordinary hand-appliqued Tulip Quilt. In pristine condition. The story that was handed down with this quilt is that Edna's mother made it. Her name was Vivian Stahl, and she lived in Davenport.

We never met our Great-Grandmother Stahl...but, apparently, she was an accomplished quilter.  Although we don't know if she made this quilt by herself, or with her daughter, for her Hope Chest, or maybe with a quilting circle...which was common practice in the 1920's...

What we DO know for sure is that after she gifted this beautiful quilt to her daughter, Edna put it in a cedar chest. That probably happened around 1930...

Edna NEVER put this quilt on a bed. It stayed in that cedar chest until 1971...(40 years!)

When Edna Dodds died, my mother inherited the quilt, and -- guess what? SHE, TOO, PUT IT IN A CEDAR CHEST. And it stayed in Mom's cedar chest for the next 26 years.

After our parents died, this beautiful quilt was sold at their estate sale/auction in 1997. OF COURSE WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET IT GET OUT OF THE FAMILY -- but the truth is -- our parents had a lot of stuff -- and an auction just seemed like the best way to handle things. We all went, and we bought back whatever mattered to us.  And, for the most part....we all got the things that were important to us...

OF COURSE I planned to buy the Tulip Quilt.

But we never could have predicted that Grandma's tulip quilt would fetch over $600.

YIKES.

I had to let it go. That was just too much money for me.

So, as sad as it was -- the Tulip Quilt went to a stranger. She was a lovely woman who appreciated this gorgeous quilt. As karma would have it -- her name was also Joyce.

But -- guess what -- SHE, TOO, PUT THE TULIP QUILT IN A CEDAR CHEST...where it stayed for the next 18 years.

So, if you're doing the math -- this incredible Tulip Quilt has been HIDDEN IN A TRUNK for at least 85 years.  HOLY COW...!!

In the year 2015, we learned the new-Joyce-owner was donating the Tulip Quilt to her church to be sold as their Fall Fundraiser.

Hey -- this time around -- WE ARE NOT GOING TO LET IT GET AWAY..!!

I sat next to my niece, Nicole -- and told her I WAS BUYING THE QUILT...

They always get a big crowd at this auction/fundraiser...

My nephew, Toby, his wife Brenda and their son Clayton...holding the quilt...which THEY WON..!!  (only because I love my sister Deena so much, I didn't bid against them...)

Honestly, I have never seen a quilt in better condition.

Every stitch is absolutely perfect.

Each flower basket is a masterpiece of hand-appliqued stitches.

Deena's three children went together to purchase the quilt...and, hey -- how could I bid against them?

I'm just glad it's back in the family. And, gifting the quilt was a good excuse to HAVE ANOTHER PARTY..!!

P.S. Here's the funny thing. When I looked at these pictures, I realized there are NO TULIPS in this quilt...So it should have been called the "Flower Basket Quilt"...but, then, it has always been referred to as The Tulip Quilt...so now I'm wondering if there was another, second quilt? Somewhere out there -- did Grandma Dodds have an actual Tulip Quilt? Hummm...