Angel of Ancestral Joy was created as part of a series of 7 angel quilts to honor the female descendants of Clara Ford, my grandmother, in my red and white quilt exhibit entitled Long Time Coming: A Retrospective of O.V. Brantley’s Red and White Quilts held November 19, 2022 - January 13, 2023 at the Emma Darnell Aviation Museum and Conference Center in Atlanta.
Clara lived and quilted in Crossett Arkansas from December 12, 1892 to May 20, 1966. Her daughter Evora is my mother. Rhonda and LaJetta are my sisters. Brittany and Brianna are the daughters of LaJetta. India is my daughter. Quilts honoring these people are part of the exhibit.
Angel of Ancestral Joy measures 23 X 28 inches. The pattern for the angel is based on Starry Night Hollow’s “peace angel”. The name of each angel in the series is machine embroidered at the bottom of her robe. Since I had an extra angel, I named her Joy. I added a matching scarf/halo on each angel. Angel of Ancestral Joy is the only quilt in the series that is for sale.
My friend Maxine Moore quilted an angel motif in the background on her long arm machine. I embellished the background with crystals.
There is heart fabric on the back and a hanging sleeve for easy display. A label documents the quilt. I signed it on the front and added a charm that says “angels watching over me.” This quilt is one-of-a-kind.