Quiet Start
January 2021
In mid-December, my nephew surprised everyone, announcing that he and his partner of six-years were getting married in a week’s time. While it wasn’t a surprise that they are perfectly matched and would eventually marry, the actual wedding arrived sort of out of the blue. However, it was such a beautiful and memorable culmination to a year that had been to that point less than stellar, leaving me with a good memory for 2020.
The name, Quiet Start, comes from their wedding vows. While they don’t have “a song” per se, they feel that Mama Cass’s It’s Getting Better, is a fitting description of their relationship, and they incorporated the lyrics into their vows :
Once I believed that when love came to me
It would come with rockets, bells and poetry
But with me and you it just started quietly and grew
And believe it or not
Now there’s something groovy and good
Bout whatever we got
And it’s getting better
Growing stronger warm and wilder
Getting better everyday, better everyday
I don’t feel all turned on and starry eyed
I just feel a sweet contentment deep inside
Holding you at night just seems kind of natural and right
And it’s not hard to see
That it isn’t half of what it’s going to turn out to be
Cause it’s getting better
Growing stronger, warm and wilder
Getting better everyday, better everyday
And just like a flower that takes time to bloom
This love of ours is taking time to grow
And I don’t mind waitin’, don’t mind waitin’
Cause no matter how long it takes
The two of us know
That it’s getting better
Growing stronger, warm and wilder
Getting better everyday, better everyday.
~ Cass Elliot (Mama Cass)
The majority of the material used for this quilt is wool that I inherited from my nephew’s grandmother, Virgie. Year’s ago when his grandmother passed away, I had been given stacks of wool that she had planned to use in making men’s suits. Over the years, I had used some to make a couple of clothing items for myself, and when I discovered that it wasn’t crazy to use it for a quilt, I made Virgie’s Wagga Rug. Even after making clothes and a quilt, I still had a good amount of this beautiful wool sitting in my stash. So, when my nephew announced the wedding, I knew what to do with the wool – make another quilt! The design is one I borrowed from an actual rug I had seen, that I wanted to interpret into a quilt. All the greys and brown/tans are from Virgie’s stash, while the mauve-colored wool is some I purchased back in the 1980’s with the plan to make a suit for myself, a plan that just never materialized (no pun intended).
As a nod to history, I want to notate here that some of the wool was stamped Harfred Fabrics Limited. While I attempted to learn more about the company, the internet had very little information about them. In the numerous years that this wool has been in my care, I have treasured the piece pictured below, that carries their logo. I used it in the backing for Quiet Start. I feel with the gifting of this quilt, that I have officially done honor to Virgie’s ‘stack of wool’.
For more information on wool quilts, check out TheEclecticAbuela’s blog. The story and origin of Wagga Rugs is fascinating.
Love Hugs 