Yesteryear Quilt

July 12, 2023

Last week, the Press-News Journal featured a yesteryear picture of an award winning quilt from the 1985 Lewis County Fair. 

Dana Dill, a grandchild of Inez Gregory, provided the information and color pictures of the quilt. Dill said, “Our grandmother was an amazing woman, we are so blessed to have known her and miss her every day.  Her oldest daughter, Helen Lee Gregory Steffen is my mother and she still lives on the family farm today.  My Grandmother was very proud of her hand sewn quilts and fortunately for the family, she documented what/when/why she made each quilt.  She ordered a book on stained glass quilts and one she liked, she re-designed it by hand and made the pattern in June of 1983.  She finishing piecing it in on May 14, 1984.  She hand quilted it from Jan 25 – Feb 2, 1985.  She showed it at the Lewis County Fair on July 16, 1985 and it won a blue ribbon, was judged “Best of the Show” and received a purple Rosetta.  She showed it at other shows in the area and in 1988 was offered $500.  Fortunately for us, she kept it in the family as all her quilts are our most prized heirlooms. She would be so proud and honored to be recognized for her many talents 30 years after her passing.” Mrs. Gregory was honored with the fair book dedicated to her in the early 1990s. She passed away in 1992.