OCEAN WAVES
Ocean Wave Quilts 1950 & 1985
The quilt on the right (not really used as a tablecloth) was made in the 1950's
using my grandmother's stash from the 1930's. I think she bought at least three
yards of every fabric they had in stock at the McCrory's store back in Scottdale,
PA, in the mid-1930's. She especially liked making scrap quilts and I have seen
these same fabrics used over and over in many quilts that she made all the
way up to 1960. (Historical Note: The first McCrory's was in my hometown!)
I am keeping this Ocean Wave quilt well preserved as a family heirloom along with the
fruit bowl seen in the center of the table. This was a wedding gift to my great-grandparents, Catherine Davenport and David Sechrist Shirey, who were married on December 7, 1871 in the living room of a relative
in Westmoreland County, PA. The quilt has prints with blues, pinks and yellows only and compliments the blue background perfectly.
In 1985 my nephew and his wife had their first child and as was my family tradition,
I made John Edward Walton, IV a wallhanging. At that time Care Bears were popular for nurseries.
I found a pattern that was meant to make felt Christmas tree ornaments. For my taste, they were
too large for ornaments, but they did make great designs to embroider on a quilt. I used the
popular candlewicking method to put nine of them on the quilt. The 10th was the grumpy blue
one so just to include him in the nursery, I bought a 6" ceramic figurine of him and painted it.
This was put on top of the chest of drawers while the quilt was hung above the crib. Oh, does the
setting look familiar? Of course I had to modify it and only used single rows, but I copied
Grandmother's Ocean Wave!!! (That's it on the right above.)
Below is my great-grandmother, Catherine Davenport Shirey, taken in the 1940's. She died in 1957 at the age of 104.
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