Do you remember May Baskets?
The road I grew up on was sparsely populated but it just so happened that ours
was one of the four houses that made up the village of East Edgecomb. In the
mid 19th century this was a happening place with commerce coming up
the river to Poole’s Landing and then up to the store that was once across the
road. However, by the time I came along, we were just 4 little houses.
Every May 1st, my
mother would help us make May Baskets and sneak up to our neighbor’s doors and
hang them on the knobs. After a few years, we were down to 3 families and I
finally realized that no one was going to wonder who they came from. Somehow
without that element of surprise I lost the desire to participate.
We rekindled the tradition
for a few years when the kids were small. They too found delight in surprising
our neighbors. The last time I made one was 2018 for an elderly friend. She
told me how someone had made her day by hanging a May Day basket on her door. She
truly enjoyed the mystery of it all. I never let on and I now cherish that fond
memory.
I
had fun making this little “May Basket” mini. I gave it to a friend last week who has a May birthday and has been going through a rough patch. She was thrilled!
Let’s see what you all have been
doing this month.
Quilting Babcia (Amity Quilter)
Randy (Barrister’s Block)
Cathy (Big Lake Quilter)
Cyndi (Busy Thimble)
Grace (City Mouse Quilter)
Barb (Fun with Barb)
Gladi (Gladi’s Quilts)
Shasta (High Road Quilter)
Julie (Julie K Quilts)
Kathy (Kathy’s Quilts)
Katy (Katy Quilts)
Sandy (My Material Creations)
Angie (Quilting on the Crescent)
Barbara (Quilts, Gravestones and Elusive Ancestors)
Janet (Rogue Quilts)
Kyle (Timeless Reflections)
Cynthia (Wabi-Sabi Quilts)
How sweetly old fashioned, a gorgeous treasure for your friend. I recall decorating paper and rolling it into a cone shape at school, but can't remember how we fashioned flowers to go with - maybe tissue paper or kleenex. We took them home to our moms, probably for Mothers day.
ReplyDeleteThis is utterly charming! Your lovely border fabric and exquisite hand quilting take it beyond a simple mini.
ReplyDeleteIt is a sweet gift for your friend, and a fun reworking of an old tradition.
How fun! I remember May baskets...have not thought of them for years. Awesome mini quilt!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful basket. I love the quilted-in flowers :0)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lovely memory
ReplyDeleteBrings back fond memories of my son taking a homemade May basket down to our neighbor.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lucky friend you have and what a lovely and generous person you are!
ooops, no mini for me this month.
What a lovely little mini for May! It was so nice of you to pass it along to a friend. Always loved the idea of secretly hanging May baskets on neighbors' door knob :)
ReplyDeleteLoved your May Day story. Your quilt is a lovely memory to a forgot and sweet tradition. I'm sure your friend will treasure your May Basket quilt.
ReplyDeleteOh, Wendy. What a lovely memory. My mother talked about May baskets when she was a llttle girl. I don’t think we ever made any though. I am so impressed with your output of beautiful quilting. Do you mind my asking when and how you work? Is it daily? All day? Carol in Texas
ReplyDeleteI do remember May baskets--such a sweet gesture! I adore your little basket and the hand quilting is lovely!
ReplyDeleteThat is such a great story, Wendy. In the neighborhood where I grew up (suburbia), there was nothing even similar to that.
ReplyDeleteI love your mini!
I love the quilt and the story!!
ReplyDeleteI used to make May baskets with my Great-Aunt Nona, and then I delivered them to her neighbors and mine. Such a fond memory!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your May basket stories...that tradition was not part of my childhood at all, so I enjoyed hearing about it!
ReplyDeleteFor a couple of years when i was small Mother or Grandma told us about them. Grampa's birthday was May 1st.
ReplyDeleteI love that concept of May baskets. So sweet. A personal touch. I think as a girl I made them out of construction paper (like a cone) but I don't remember delivery details;). What a sweet small town tradition. You really have a strong sense of "place"!
ReplyDeleteI remember hanging May baskets! Your little mini is super sweet. Love it!:)
ReplyDeleteI just realized I had never commented. I certainly meant to. This is the cutest little thing. I love the tradition of May baskets but it, like "kicking valentines", has just become history. Such a sweet piece.
ReplyDeleteYes! I do remember May baskets and I commented to a friend at the beginning of the month about the fact that the custom has kind of gone by the wayside! hmmm.
ReplyDeleteYour mini has revived it for me. And what a nice gift for your friend! take care!
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