Some piecing was done by hand, other quilts were stitched together with a sewing machine and hand quilted or tied. Perhaps she sat and pieced quilt squares while she was pregnant, preparing to care for the growing life in her womb. Maggie’s grandson, Jim Peterson, recalled coming to stay at his grandparents’ place as a boy, before Maggie’s home had running water or indoor plumbing. The fold up spring mattress he slept on in the porch was complete with one of Maggie’s quilts. I wonder if Maggie’s mother or grandmother gave her needle and thread and started her stitching quilt squares when she was just a little girl, as my mother did.