Liberty is Our Motto

 I had a lot of fun designing and making a quilt that I call "Liberty is Our Motto," inspired by a song title sung by the Hutchinson Family Singers, a 19th century group that hailed from Milford, New Hampshire. The popular family singers traveled the world, even appearing before the Queen of England!

Liberty is something we all hold dear. It is the principle upon which this country was founded. Liberty from oppression and the dictates of specific religions, and liberty for all men and women is important to Americans. With that in mind, I fashioned this quilt. The center block features a traditional pattern known as "Whig's Defeat." (The Whigs were a political group). I chose a red, white and blue theme which makes the quilt appear patriotic in nature. The appliqued hearts feature the words, "Abolition," "Temperance," and "Suffrage," all important themes in the 19th century (1800s) and into the 20th century. 

In the upper right hand corner is a piece of fabric I printed on my home printer. The design features Presidents George Washington and Barack Obama and was designed by Barbara Brackman. I finished this quilt in 2010 and it is hand-appliqued and hand-quilted. I have made very few quilts in this color combination. It seemed appropriate that I post this for the upcoming 4th of July. I took the liberty of adding a "political statement" via the chain sewn onto the border which represents the former bondage of Black Americans as slaves. This is an intensely personal quilt that shares my "values." Butterflies are hand-quilted onto the center block. Butterflies are always free. I hope you enjoy seeing this original design.

Patricia Cummings

A Tribute Quilt to President Abraham Lincoln

 I made this original tribute quilt to Abraham Lincoln about 20 years ago. It is hand-embroidered, hand-quilted, and hand-appliqued and is one of the few quilts I have ever done in red, white and blue. I still have it hanging in my home and I enjoy seeing it.

Quilt Exhibition at Billings Farm & Museum - 2022

 On June 3, 2022, we were invited to a sneak preview of the 36th Annual Quilt Exhibition at Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, Vermont. There are contemporary quilts by Windsor County Quilters and challenge quilts by the Delectable Mountain Quilters. The exhibit will be open daily from June 4 - July 10 at their 69 Old River Road location. 

Here we highlight just a few of the outstanding quilts that caught our attention. As we entered the exhibition space on the 2nd floor of a former barn, we spied "Big Blooms" by Cynthia Dalrymple. It features a striking array of flowers appliqued onto a background of black/white print fabrics. 

Next, I asked my husband (the photographer of the family) to take a photo of "Big Sur Sunset" by Norma Ippolito which was inspired by a sunset at Big Sur, California. The colors are just wonderful!

"Pandemic Pastime" by Charlotte Croft was an effort to use a box of fabrics given to her during the pandemic. The hexagons look rather cheerful and I would say that she used the fabric to good advantage!

"Homage to Ukraine" by Donna Tardiff is a lovely, small, wall quilt. The Sunflower is the symbol of Ukraine, that war-torn country which is in our thoughts and prayers. 

"Familiar Mountains" by Natalie Frost includes the embroidered name of each mountain depicted under each block. Nice work!

Finally, we liked "Lock Down #1" by Sherry Bingham which features both piecing and applique. This is an outstanding quilt that is nicely-quilted. 

The website for Billings Farm & Museum is www.billingsfarm.org and their phone number is 802.457.2355. The museum is well-worth the trip any time of the year to enjoy all that is offered. It is a great place to take children to see farm animals and it is also very appealing to adults who love history. I wrote an extensive article about the farm and museum for The Quilter magazine some years ago and we have visited many times now. There is a wonderful gift shop on the premises that among other tantalizing objects sells cheese made from the farm's own Jersey cows. Hope you enjoyed this glimpse of the exhibit.

Happy Quilting!

Patricia L. Cummings