Favorite Things: Laura Hall and her grandmothers’ quilts

Laura Hall is a volunteer with the Westside Neighborhood Association. After graduating high school, she was gifted a handmade quilt from each of her grandmothers. She is very close with both of them and considers the quilts to be very special heirlooms.

Both of my grandmothers made me quilts when I graduated from high school. It was a coincidence that they both got into quilting when I was finishing high school. They’re two flannel quilts, one that my mom’s mother made and one that my dad’s mother made. Both of them happen to be big and red. 

We consider cardinals to be very special. My great grandmother and great grandfather loved cardinals and they used to make little cardinal figurines. If a cardinal shows up, we feel the love. I know that’s a little silly. The quilt made by my grandmother on my mom’s side has cardinals on it in honor of my great grandmother. It has a little tag that says, “Made for my granddaughter Laura in honor of her 18th birthday and her high school graduation.” It’s a very sweet multi-generation family token that is really special to me. 

Both of my grandmothers are still with us. My family is really tight-knit. I’m really close with my grandmothers. I even picked out some of the fabric prints for the quilt. I’m the oldest of four, and they made quilts for each of us when we graduated high school. But I was the first one that got to go to the store to pick out the fabrics, so it has some of my fingerprints on it as well. Lots of work goes into making a big bedside quilt. 

I instant message my grandmother on my mom’s side all day long. My grandmother on my dad’s side is not as tech-savvy, but we would have dinners at her house every other month before COVID. My grandmother on my dad’s side also helped me learn how to drive.

All through college, I used the quilts as my bedspread. I took them with me when I moved to Arizona after college and they were my main bedding. When it’s really cold out, I’ll get them to snuggle on the couch. Right now, they’re stored in a dresser in my guest room to keep them safe. I want to preserve them as long as I can.  My husband and I have talked about how we could have them displayed. 

During COVID times when everybody had to be separated, I would take the quilts out more often. Wrapping myself in the quilts feels like getting a big hug from my grandmother. 

Interview edited and condensed by Skyler Ashley. If you have a suggestion for Favorite Things, please email Skyler@LansingCityPulse.com

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