I, Valentine: Love Letters, Lost Makers, and Lasting Stitches
- Monica Poole
- Oct 16, 2024
- 3 min read
Jacki and Marcia, our wonderful Facebook admins, recently asked me:
"What is your favourite or most meaningful design, and where did the inspiration come from?"
Without hesitation, my answer was I, Valentine.
Designed in 2023, I, Valentine is an appliqué medallion quilt-as-you-go quilt, inspired by Victorian valentine devotionals and the romantic ornamentation of the Baroque and Rococo periods. Filled with doves, roses, hearts, and scrolling vines, it draws upon centuries of decorative art associated with love, beauty, and devotion.
It is called I, Valentine because it is a gift to the self.
Like many quilters, I spend most of my time creating for others. Family, friends, students, and loved ones all seem to come before ourselves.
One evening in January 2023, while browsing Pinterest, I stumbled across an article from the Victoria and Albert Museum about handmade Victorian valentines. I was captivated by the intricate paper cutting, symbolism, and care that went into creating these small tokens of affection.
It made me wonder: what would it look like to create a valentine for myself?
And so I, Valentine was born.
A snapshot from the blog post; you can read it here
One night in January 2023, I stumbled upon a blog post from the Victoria and Albert Museum on Pinterest, which detailed the beautiful history of Valentine's devotionals that people would create for each other. I was amazed by the dedication, beauty, and precision it took to make them. Like many quilters, I often find myself making quilts for family, friends, and loved ones. I wanted to create a quilt that was just for me, and from that desire, the I, Valentine quilt was born.
The I, Valentine quilt was created over 13 weeks alongside more than 250 quilters from around the world making their own unique version. Together, we stitched our way through the project, with participants following along through our YouTube tutorials and course notes.
Each week followed a familiar rhythm. On Monday, I would design the blocks. Tuesday was dedicated to making and filming them, and the remainder of the week was spent editing videos, writing course notes, and preparing everything for our members.
Working to a weekly deadline brought an exciting energy to the project. Mum and I have always worked well under pressure, and with a birthday trip to Europe fast approaching, we had every reason to stay on schedule. There was no option but to keep creating, and by the end of the 13 weeks, I, Valentine was complete.
When the final stitches were complete, I boarded a plane and set off for Europe, eager to visit the castles and palaces I had been fascinated by since childhood.
Among the grand paintings, gilded ceilings, and marble halls, it wasn't the masterpieces that captured my attention. It was the textiles.
Again and again, I found myself drawn to quilts, embroideries, and decorative fabrics that had survived for hundreds of years. Their makers were long forgotten, yet their work remained.
One particular quilt stopped me in my tracks.
I discovered it while touring the Palaces of Genoa in Italy. Hanging in the apartments of the Brignole family, it formed part of a magnificent pair displayed opposite one another, proudly bearing the family's coat of arms.
Standing before those quilts, I found myself wondering about the people who had made them.
Who stitched them?
Who spent countless hours cutting fabric, threading needles, and carefully placing each appliqué shape?
No one seemed to know.
When I asked our tour guide who had made the quilts, she wasn't sure. Moments later she effortlessly recited the names of the painters responsible for the grand artworks surrounding them.
Ironically, I have forgotten every one of those names.
But I still remember the quilts.
The makers may have been lost to history, but their work remains. Every stitch, every carefully placed motif, every tiny imperfection speaks of a real person who once sat and created something beautiful with their hands.
Looking at those quilts, I felt as though their makers were reaching across time with a simple message:
"I was here, and I mattered."
Perhaps that is why I, Valentine remains my most meaningful quilt.
It began as a gift to myself, but it became something more. A reminder that quilts are not simply blankets or decorations. They are stories stitched into cloth. They connect us to those who came before us and, if we are lucky, to those who come after.
Long after we are gone, our stitches may still remain.
If you want to watch the making of the 'I Valentine' Quilt, you can check out our series 'The Quilt-as-you-go Chronicles' on YouTube.
If you would like to create your own version, the course notes are also available.
With Love, Alaura
You captured the essence of quilting in this beautifully written blog post. I had to take a breath when I finished reading it and go get a tissue. A quilt lasts beyond the life of the quilter and the recipient of the quilt. So much goes on in life while making a quilt and all those funny things that happen in your life as well as the sad ones are embedded in the quilt I just gifted a quilt to a special friend as a wedding gift. I’d started it in the spring but stopped because my husband unexpectedly passed away. I could hardly bring myself to finish it as it carried a plethora of memories. As I wrote …