You can’t actually see the late Ashta Johnston sitting alongside these girls from the Johnston family, but her presence is evident in their laps. Ashta created the blocks in this beautiful Dresden Plate quilt, but never completed it.
As a mom of mostly boys, Ashta grew close to all her daughter-in-laws but especially to Patricia Ann Moody (second from the left). Patricia admits this was due to their shared love of all things handmade. Besides sewing and quilting, they crocheted, embroidered, and hooked rugs.
This is a photo of Ashta with her husband, also late. Remembering how Ashta had taught her to quilt, Patricia enlisted the help of daughter Deborah Sredin, (top photo far left), her granddaughter-in-law Stefanie, (far right), and great-granddaughter, Leigh, to finish it. That’s right. Five generations of Johnston’s have stitched on this quilt!
All it needs now is a binding. This is a beautiful legacy Ashta left behind. Incidentally, the youngest Johnston was so pleased by all of this, she wrote a song about the quilt, and performed it for me right then and there (after I snapped the group photo).
If you are interested in making your own Dresden Plate quilt block, get on over to Sew Happy Geek where blogger Jenna shares a free pattern you can download along with directions.
Sorry but that’s not a Dresden Plate, it is Grandmother’s Fan….It is Gorgeous either way!
Hi Robin,
Thanks for the clarification on the name of this pattern. –Scarlett
What a wonderful story! Congratulations to the family for working to complete a heirloom that is sure to be treasured for generations yet to come. I wish them the best of luck 🙂
Aphelia,
So glad their story touched you as much as it did me. I just had to share it! –Scarlett
That’s Mom. She taught all her Daughter-n-laws. And loved every-one of them, plus a few more.