Updated

Heirlooms & Comforts has updated the face of our home (building) on Madden Bridge Rd. in Central! We love our new addition. The Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail has crafted a replica of one section of a Double Wedding Ring Quilt made by my mom, Sara Newton, about 25 years ago.Hopefully those who pass our building on Madden Bridge Road will look up and smile, thinking of Mema who loved the great art of quilting and who never had idle hands as long as they could work at happily making an object that would wrap her family and friends in a labor of love and devotion.
Mom loved putting the "quilt puzzles" together and passing them on to a friend who quilted them by hand. She also loved to then give those quilts to my brother, me, and our children as well as to special friends on special occasions. One Christmas not long after my father's death Mom went to her quilt closet and pulled out nine quilts to give as gifts to each separate household of her family because she could not "afford" shopping for each household that year. One day she and I counted the number of Double Wedding Ring quilts that she had made and given to family and friends - we could remember 30. Each of her grandchildren received a DWR as a wedding gift. The one that we replicated on the front of H&C is a "rare" one because she also hand quilted it herself. It therefore has special significance for us. Additionally, it is the quilt we used as a funeral pall to honor her art and skill when she died in 2006.

So once again we have a chance to honor our heritage of quiltmaking by displaying a replica of a section of her quilt. We are indeed a family blessed for having had the loving, caring, teaching, uplifting guidance of one who understood the value of keeping hands and mind occupied in a worthwhile activity, never letting idle mind and idle hands put you in a mire of doldrums. Come by to see this installation and share our joy.
Sara

H&C Feature of the Week: Curious Nature by Parson Gray
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature a fabric group called Curious Nature by Parson Gray from designer David Butler and Free Spirit fabric company. David is the husband of Amy Butler, artist and designer of fabrics. He noticed what he thought was a lack of masculine designs in the world of fabrics for quilting. He began to design with men in mind; and now we have fabulous designs in the shop that are waiting for your creative use. 20% off your choices this week in the Parson Gray group of fabrics. Look on the Free Spirit web site for inspiration on how to design your version of the masculine quilt.

Community Service
Community Service is a term we hear often but we don't always get to experience. On Friday last week we at Heirlooms & Comforts were able to experience Community Service firsthand. Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative sent a two-man crew composed of Ricky and David (last names are lost with me) to install the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail blocks at the Central Roller Mill and at Heirlooms & Comforts. These two gentlemen have now installed about 80 of these blocks across the upstate of South Carolina and from what we observed on Friday have become very skilled at this installation process.

These photos show the work in progress and how their experience at handling heavy objects at great heights is a real asset in this kind of situation. Bobby and I wish to thank Blue Ridge Electric and Ricky and David for their expert assistance in mounting the "Barn Blocks" that the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail group constructed and painted for us. Also, thanks to Gil Huggins for his leadership and guidance in this process.


Class Schedule
The new class schedule for classes at Heirlooms & Comforts is online! We have the dates and times set and the instructors are ready to start. All we need is for you to call in and come by to complete your registration with payment to hold your seat in class. Remember that at H&C we always give you a 10% discount on the purchase of supplies that are listed by the instructor for her classes. Let us know what you don't have and we can find it for you. The staff is looking forward to seeing you soon to register and to collect up your supplies to ensure a stellar finish of the project!