Home
 is a small 501(c)(3) charitable organization devoted to
providing hand-made "hugs" in the form of quilts to children and adults
in need, honors the memory and generous spirit of Big Mama, my
Great-Grandmother Emily Colleen (Davis) Shanks.  Big Mamas Legacy carries on the tradition of giving hand-made stitched items to children in need as well as providing opportunities for others, even non-quilters, to contribute their talents, time, and skills to the cause. Big Mama lived with her eldest daughter, my Grandmother, Myra Helen Keith, in near poverty, in the small community of Mt. Clemens, Michigan (near Detroit). After a lifetime of hard work raising a large family on the farm, Big Mama found herself in poor health and unable to do many of the chores and activities she'd always done. Rather than remain idle, she sewed little clothes for dolls to give to children in local orphanages. |
S P A C E R |
During the summer
of 1967, when I was 10 years old, my mother, 3 sisters, brother, and I
all stayed with Big Mama and Little Grandma in their tiny house next to
the railroad tracks. While my brother and sisters played, I spent time with Big Mama helping with the canning of fresh vegetables from the garden, making jelly, and learning the basics of patchwork piecing. She showed me how to cut the squares and sew them together with tiny stitches. I watched in awe as she pieced her squares together with such precision. She explained basic color theory -- joining the various colors together in a pleasing manner, not just matching colors, but also considering shades and scale. Looking back, it reminds me of learning to make some of our family recipes -- a pinch of this, a dash of that, and wondering "how much is a pinch?". That time spent in Michigan planted a seed linking me to my past, to strong women, and a tradition of self-reliance, hard work, and giving. Since then I've never lost sight of the dream of being like that, of giving, particularly things I've made, things that provide warmth (both literally and figuratively), and remind the recipients that they are special. |
