The Comfort of Autumn Quilts

“And just like that, autumn overtook summer with the softest kiss.”   -unknown

Like the bees buzzing in the air, we humans think that warm days will never cease. But the crispness of the breeze signals that a new season will dawn with produce that is ripe to the core. Abundant orchards of crisp apples dangling by brown stems. Pears that bursting with juice from the first bite. Heavy hung branches of peaches to whet the appetite as they bend with ripeness. In the gardens, gourds swell, pumpkins plump out into carving sizes. Squashes dangle from vines, ready for baking.

The scent of baking fills the nostrils with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and sage. Each of these spices is a unique and wonderful aroma, but put them together and you get autumn in every bite. It recalls folks around the table swapping stories and pieces of pumpkin pie turn the heart to home. Hot apple cider to wash down the spice cake. Apple butter slathered on slices of home made bread toasted just right.

Autumn is a time for listening. The crunching of leaves underfoot signals the briskness in the air. The wind vibrates differently in the fall, bringing a coolness with it that is invigorating. Walking in the leaves and feeling the breeze brings thoughts of God close to the heart and mind in the silence of the leafy surroundings.

But the colors of fall are a mosaic of beauty that brings a small gasp from the back of the throat. Red bursts of leaves among the green and gold satisfy the eyes. Leathery browns beg the fingers to hold the leaves and follow the veins with a finger. Oranges and yellows create a feeling of urgency and excitement. One last hurrah before the gray clouds overhead scatter flakes of snow.

The best part of autumn is bringing out the quilts from summer storage. The nine patches, Dresden Plates and scrappy comforters handed down through the generations cuddle sleepers in the love of those who have gone on before. Modern interpretations of pieced fabrics signal that a new crop of stitchers see geometry in a new way. But the comfort is the same. The quilts bind a family together as the nights grow colder and the nights linger longer in a fluffy white world. Then, the memories of autumn will warm the heart.

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

                                                -L.M. Mongomery