Quiltin' Bee at Big Mama's House

The beds are made, the dishes are done,
and the laundry's on the line.
Towels and sheets flap in the breeze,
soakin' up sweet sunshine.

Casserole's in the oven bakin',
and Jell-O's in the fridge.
Soon the neighborhood ladies will come,
walking up over that ridge.

Today we're makin' a log cabin quilt
for Aunt Elsie's grandbaby, Sue.
There'll be huggin' and stitchin' and talkin',
and later some good eatin' too!

Aunt Elsie's here first with the quilt top,
and batting and backing, too.
Spread the quilt out, layer it, roll it,
and clamp it on big wooden frames. Whew!

Bring chairs in from the kitchen and porch,
then get those in the yard.
Aunt Estelle heaves a weary sigh
and says, "Whoo, now that wasn't so hard!"

Aunt Ivy, Aunt Flora, and Aunt Estelle
work on the side of the quilt by the wall.
Mama Davis, Mrs. Hunnicut, and Aunt Grace
work on the side by the hall.

Big Mama and her baby sister Aunt Elsie
work on the end by the door.
My mother and I work on the other end,
but mostly, I play in the floor.

The quilt makes a magical hideout,
with plenty of light coming through.
I get to pretend and play with my doll,
and listen to gossip, too.

The food smells good and I'm sneaky,
so I steal just a little taste.
Then they give me a needle and thread
and teach me how to "baste."

I feel really big as I sew with the ladies
at Big Mama's Quiltin' Bee.
None of my cousins know how to sew,
just special, little ol' me.

At lunchtime, everyone takes a break
to stretch, and eat and rest.
The feast is waitin', and we all dig in
just as soon as the food's been blessed.

The ladies work until afternoon,
until they need to start supper at home.
We wave 'til they disappear past the ridge,
and we're all sad when they are gone.

Aunt Elsie's quilt will be finished next week
when the bindin' is carefully sewn.
She's proud of this wonderful gift
that would've taken months of workin' alone.

Together they'll craft many quilts this year,
each one a sight to see!
I'll always remember bein' at Big Mama's house
and enjoyin' the Quiltin' Bee.