Story Photos
 Charlene Powell is surrounded by six generations of family-made quilts in her Longview home. Dave Rubert / For The Daily News
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Display will feature quilts from six generations of Longview woman's family
Saturday, October 4, 2008 9:48 AM PDT
By Brenda Blevins McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleIn one Longview household, quilts hold a place of high esteem. More than something to curl up in on a cold winter’s night or toss on a bed, the handmade works Charlene Powell received after her mother died have helped bind six generations of family.
Half the collection of quilts, ranging from turn-of-the century editions to more recent works by Charlene, will be on display at the St. Paul Lutheran Quilt Show set for Oct. 10-11 at the church in Castle Rock.
The group of soft cotton, precisely stitched and brightly colored quilts were handed down to Charlene via a family tradition after the death of her mother, Pearle (Miller) McNeely. Charlene was her mother’s caregiver in her later life. They spent years making sure each quilt tells a story. They scribbled notes on paper offering details such as who created the work, when it was made and why it was made. The information is pinned to the flowery chicken feed sack material on the backs of many of the blankets.
Charlene gathered the information and formatted it into stories she will display with each work at the show.
“My vacation was spent with my mom and dad,” Charlene said. “I would always ask, tell me, let me write it down. I spent years attaching notes to individual pieces.”
During a recent interview, Charlene unfurled the blankets in her parlor, decorated with turn-of-the-century furnishings from her grandmother’s home.
“It’s so nice, peaceful, when I come in here,” Charlene said.
She stacked the quilts high on the couch her mother used to own. Some held the brilliant tones bestowed on them when their fabric connections were created, while others sported the fading beauty of a rose late in bloom.
Two of the quilts at one time were used by Charlene’s father, Al McNeely, to cover tomato plants in their garden. One of those was a nine-patch example made by her mother.
Young Pearle was taught each stitch had to be perfect. Such attention to detail was hard for the young woman.
“Her aunties had three little girls who liked to come and play with her,” Charlene said. “She would see those girls coming down the street, but she had so many squares she had to get made. She’d hurry, then they wouldn’t be real straight, and she’d have to rip them.”
Three generations of women in the family worked on a double wedding ring quilt, a gift to Pearle on her wedding day.
“(It) was done for her high school graduation, but it took two years to finish, so it wasn’t done until after her graduation,” Charlene said.
Pink and blue squares dot the landscape between the rings, punctuating hopes and dreams for a wedding, children and the happiness they bring.
“Mother didn’t see it completely finished until the wedding day,” Charlene said, adding that it has been used only as a coverlet and displayed on the bed every June for the 64 wedding anniversaries Charlene’s parents shared.
Charlene’s daughter, Kristi Palmer, added her skills to the generational mix, completing a quilt for her mother that had been started by her great-grandmother, Bertha (Biskeborn) Miller.
Over the years, Charlene shipped packages of fabric scraps to Bertha. In return, Charlene received notes of thanks and praise for her effort.
Years later, she got another surprise.
“ I had no idea she was turning it into a quilt for me,” Charlene said.
Adding to the log cabin patterned quilt’s sentimental value are the dark portions made from Charlene’s grandfather’s ties and Bertha’s church dresses.
Bertha was unable to complete the quilt, so Kristi’s nimble hands completed it in time for Christmas one year.
Charlene also lent her hand to the hobby, completing one of Bertha’s pineapple pattern quilts and continuing to make her own.
“If you finish a first one, then you’re hooked on it,” Charlene said.
One day, Charlene said, the collection will be passed down to her daughter. She would like to display some of the quilts in a museum, but hesitates to break up the group.
Especially since the collection has taken on a colorful life all its own, Charlene said.
“Memories are the best things we have left, and that’s what these quilts give us, is a century of memories.”
If you go
What: The St. Paul Lutheran Quilt Show
Where: St. Paul Lutheran Church, 312 First Ave. S.W., Castle Rock
When: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 10-11
Details: Donations will be accepted and will be used to help stamp out hunger domestically and worldwide. At least 100 quilts will be shown, as well a special display of table runners.
Dolly Adams of Castle Rock is the featured quilter. The Australia native's specialty is hand applique. She will answer questions about the technique.
In addition, Larry and Alice Richter will show a large Corvette quilt with insignias and emblems.
Other quilts will be available for sale.
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