Ruth's Bedspread
When we were small, we all remember our mother, Ruth, crocheting. She did this while she was waiing somewhere, at home--always working on the bedspread. It was a beautiful bedspread, a lily pad pattern, and it was not quite complete when she died. For reasons I neither understand nor remember, I inherited the bedspread, and treasured it mightily. Unfortunately, in 1960, when we lived in Illinois, we kept some folks for the church--we lived off base and these folks were not authorized to go on base to stay with any of the other church members. At some point after they left, I realized the bedspread was no longer stored on the closet shelf. Of course this made me sad and angry, and for many years I have looked for the bedspread. I finally found a crochet pattern, and made a few blocks, just to prove to myself that I could, but I didn't muster up the perseverance to make an entire spread.
As some of you know, I buy and sell on Ebay. So when I happened to see this bedspread, of course I bid on it, and watched anxiously to see if I would win the bid. I did, for $26.00, although I had placed a MUCH higher bid. The bedspread should be on its way. I certainly do not think it is the same one, but if it were, I think I could tell. At least I will feel like that family treasure will be in part restored.
posted by David R. Snow at
8:27:00 AM
10 Comments:
I failed to mention that the title is a link to a picture of the bedspread.
Wouldn't that be amazing if you found the same bedspread after 45 years. The wonders of Ebay!
Sure would! That is a nice picture. Little more recent than the last one . . .
Betty: Thanks for that information. Yes, I do remember now that Bertha had the bedspread. Of course we were not aware of the discussions that might have occurred about much of anything, so I wasn't aware that she thought that I wasn't getting enough. I got Mother's little secretary, so I thought I got plenty. That was later, however, so I don't know how all that went.
I would have thought that even without the sentimental attachment that the spread would have gotten a higher price on the auction, but you never know.
Don, for one, always resented that much of what went away in terms of possessions, such as the dining room table (and I also have lots of dusting memories), but it must have been that someone had to make choices with a short time frame and in the middle of being so shocked about the events around them. Later, when Herbert disposed of the Broadus things, we again lost a lot of what some of us would like to have had, and when Herbert and Elice died, nearly anything that had been in the Broadus line ended up with Eilene, and a little with Herb.
A few years ago Jean brought me a couple of pictures that Mother had, and that was very special to me that she would do that. They were probably souvenirs from Mexico, birds made with real feathers. I remember being fascinated with them when I was small, but had not realized they were anywhere around.
I also have an afghan that Mother apparently, according to the stories I have heard, crocheted while she was in Wichita waiting for me to be born. It is part wool, has shrunk and has holes in it, but I will keep it as long as I live.
Enough rambling. It has meant so much to us to have your input. Please keep that coming.
Betty: I meant to say, and didn't, that I do remember the dining room set clearly, in Webster Groves. It was the place where we ate dinner, and I was aware that it had been your family's. I also liked the maple one that Berha and Jim had in Wichita that must have replaced that one--or was that later?
Mary, if you are really worried about your tablecloth, you can get it professionally fixed. I learned about restoreres on Antiques Roadshow, it might be worth a search.
Mary: I think I could fix the tablecloth, also. I may have to fix the bedspread, although the listing says it is okay.
Dear Mary,
You mean that you don't remember seeing one of my greatest sins?! There were three or four dents in the table top where I banged on it with the end of my knife or fork! My mother always put the protective pads on the table, then a table cloth. I still have no idea why she put me at the table instead of in the breakfast room...or why she didn't put the pads on the table. I was about 3 or 4 at the time, but I certainly remember how shocked I was when I realized what I'd done. I thought my mother was going to die right there on the spot. And over the years, as I dusted and polished that furniture, those dents just got bigger and bigger! Love, Betty
The bedspread came today. It is very well made--that is a difficult pattern, to say the least--and I will treasure having it. I know it is not the one that Mother made (nor did I expect it to be) because it is a slightly different shade, but mainly the difference is that this one is smaller, made for a twin bed, and the thread is not the same heft.
I'm glad you won it anyway. Even though the object is not the memory it is nice to have something solid and concrete to keep the memories fresh...
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