Finished Project: Clematis Wall Quilt

Within the last week I finished two projects. The first one is a wall quilt that features an embroidered Clematis, an antique design that I found in an over-sized catalog of patterns from circa 1886. As suggested, I used variegated thread (floss) from Mexico for the Clematis flowers and the autumn colored leaves. I enjoyed the embroidery and liked hand-quilting the linen cloth background. When it came to choosing a border, I found the "perfect" one in my stash:  a Hoffman print that picks up the purple and the yellow-orange colors. Here is a photo.

"Clematis Flowers in Early Autumn"

A Nature Hike Proves Inspirational

You know, I must think I'll live forever. I keep adding on project after project, some of them long-term and with no idea when or if I will personally be able to finish them. According to statistics, anyone who makes it to my current age has about 20 years remaining. That does not seem like enough time to finish all the quilting and embroidery projects that I have already started. Thank goodness for long arm machine quilters. At least some of the quilts will be quilted. I certainly could not rely on my (slow) hand quilting to finish all of them.

Sometimes it is a good idea to spend a little time away from the studio in order to get energized again. A brisk walk helps to clear the cobwebs in one's head, after sitting too long. Yesterday, we decided to travel to Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, a quaint quintessential New England town with a town green that is flanked with historic homes. Rhododendron State Park, within the town's borders, was our destination.

The rhododendron plants are amazing in size. In some cases, they form a tunnel on either side of a narrow dirt path through the woods.

Rhodendrons in full bloom at Rhodendron State Park, Fitzwilliam, NH

We took the trail that was one mile long and for the entire way, there were rhododendrons visible, some as tall as 15 feet tall or perhaps more. While the flower heads have no fragrance, noticeable by man, they do attract the bumblebees. This wild plantation represents the northernmost reach of this particular kind of rhododendron. There is an additional trail that features wildflowers and forms a three mile loop. We saved that for another time.

Now back to the studio. What will I work on today? Embroidery!

Patricia Cummings
Find us on FB at Quilter's Muse Publications where we frequently post updates.

Caroline Fairbanks' Civil War Quilt

Reproduction of Caroline Fairbank's Civil War quilt

This reproduction quilt made by Patricia L. Cummings (in spring 2011) re-creates the feeling and intent of a pieced quilt created by Caroline ("Carrie") Fairbanks of Brandon, Vermont during the Civil War in 1862. Her name is shortened to "Caro" on her gravestone to "Caro" most likely because the stone is so narrow and perhaps to save money on the price of the inscription. She donated her quilt to the U.S. Sanitary Commission and it is one of the few known (7?) extant Civil War quilts that bear the USSC stamp. A photo of her, provided by her great-grandson, is one that I printed and made into a mini-quilt to attach to the quilt itself with a small hat pin. The original quilt re-used pieces of a brown calico dress that she recycled for this purpose. The other (white) fabric may be from a bed sheet.

The original quilt bears 23 religious inscriptions from hymns, the Bible, and the Book of Common Prayer. I inked all of the same inscriptions with permanent ink onto the reproduction quilt top (and two of those are located on the back). Written messages are seen on other Civil War quilts and were included to cheer the recipients. A prime example is a quilt made in Maine by a school teacher and her students, now held by the Smithsonian Institution.

Caroline Bowen Fairbanks married her cousin, Luke B. Fairbanks, a Union soldier, on Christmas Day 1862. He was one of six brothers who served in the war. He was wounded in the arm while crossing a river while holding his rifle high so it would not get wet. He delayed returning to his regiment until the following April. According to Grant Fairbanks, Jr., when Luke was asked where he had been all that time, he replied that he had been captured by the enemy for awhile, a likely alibi as that often happened. Actually, it seems he had been a "prisoner of love."

My quilt is not an exact reproduction, size-wise or otherwise. Also, as a decorative feature, I decided to tie the corners of the blocks with embroidery floss. According to Don Beld, this is the only known surviving soldier's quilt made by just one person working alone, that was donated to the U.S. Sanitary Commission. Seemingly, most of the USSC quilts were group-made.

Carrie's quilt features the "Snowball" pattern. For the (pieced) blocks in this quilt, I made larger "corners" than those present on the original quilt and also utilized a quicker method of "flip and sew," piecing with a sewing machine rather than hand piecing. The Fairbanks quilt is now owned by the Vermont Historical Society and was acquired when a museum in Pennsylvania decided to de-accession it. Recently, we had the opportunity to see the quilt on display in Montpelier, Vermont.

Patricia Cummings

http://www.quiltersmuse.com

member of the American Quilt Study Group
To see other newly-made Civil War inspired quilts, visit: http://www.americanquiltstudygroup.org/qscwstudy01.asp

Quilt Inspirations

Quilt Inspirations

What inspires you to make a quilt? Is it someone else's design, your own flower garden, or does fabric itself "speak" to you, causing you to cut it or use it in a certain manner of your own choosing? There are so many points of inspiration, one would be hard-pressed to name them all. Some folks create kaleidoscope designs by isolating one element of a photo and repeating it in a circular format. Some people, like me, enjoy adding words to quilts, often inked. Others like to feature portraits of people, dogs, or cats. Still others commemorate events such as horses running in the Kentucky Derby, or images from the Day of the Dead.

Patricia Cummings hand quilting "Welsh Beauty," a white wholecloth quilt designed by Holice Turnbow for Benartex. The tradition of wholecloth quilting is very rich. In this case, the quilting lines that are marked in blue, will disappear in cold water after all of the quilting is done. The stitches themselves "make" the design.

Flowers are a favorite theme as are baskets, either full or empty. The pure juxtaposition of shapes brings joy to some quilters who like Crazy Quilting. Existing tapestries, such as the Bayeaux Tapestry, cause quilters to want to reproduce the images. Old quilts forever remain an inspiration as we study their construction, fabrics and their placements, and special techniques and threads used to create them. Certain fabrics, such as chintz, invite us to cut them up and re-arrange the parts in a pleasing manner and appliqué the pieces using buttonhole stitch (broderie perse), as has been done in the past.

The sea, with its fish and coral reefs just under the surface, can provide good subjects. Landscape and seascape scenes are another source for design ideas. Greeting cards can offer motifs that can be adapted in a unique manner, especially when making postcard size quilts. Embroidery can often add another dimension to quilts as can hand quilting lines within appliquéd pieces such as roses. Layering fabrics is necessary for intricate piecework seen in Baltimore Album quilt reproductions.

Yes, there are innumerable ways by which we can be inspired to make a quilt. Family events such as weddings, anniversaries and births often provide a reason to make a special and personalized gift quilt. Personal quilts can often include depictions of the things we love in life and can serve as a "diary" rendered in cloth. Friendship quilts, with their inked messages of love and appreciation, are always appreciated by the gift recipient.

Quilts are about connections. They encompass images from the world around us or else they are abstract or simply geometric, made in colors and shapes that please the eye. Some quilts, with their many tiny pieces, make us wonder at the tenacity of the quilter who was able to finish the quilt! Another category of quilt is the mosaic: quilts composed of many tiny pieces that together form the shape of a rose, a person, etc. Death is not overlooked: there are quilts that record the process of the loss of life. So saying, I am thinking of the quilts of Deidre Scherer, in particular. Her work includes depictions of nursing home residents. We can celebrate the gift of life at any stage!

In general, quilts celebrate life, life as it is and life in an idyllic sense. Think of toile fabrics with their stylized country scenes of people enjoying outdoor activities. Patriotic quilts is another category. Some collectors seek to acquire red, white and blue quilts. Still others prefer red and white quilts, geometrically-pieced or else quilts with red embroidered motifs. Quilts warm the body. More often, they appeal to our color sensibilities and quiet the mind. Alternatively, some art quilts make us "think" or just wonder "why" the artist chose particular fabrics, subjects, or style.

Really, there is endless inspiration available. In the world around us, wildlife and birds, blossoms of all kinds, and mountains and streams offer abundant design sources. I hope that you will encourage yourself to make some original quilts based upon your own interpretations. While it is fun to re-create the designs of others, there is perhaps more satisfaction in coming up with a unique quilt of your own vision.

Here's to happy quilting!

Patricia Cummings
http://www.quiltersmuse.com
Visit us on Facebook (Quilter's Muse Publications)

Hand Quilting

Some people are cut out to quilt by machine. I am not one of them. Oh, I have machine-quilted the occasional baby quilt on my home sewing machine but that involved straight lines of stitches. I do not mind piecing miniature quilts or blocks on my Singer Featherweight machine, a dinosaur that must be pampered, cleaned and oiled regularly if it is to continue to function properly.

For the most part, I enjoy hand quilting, no matter how large the project. The result is that I do not finish many bed size quilts any more but I do like the process of putting in one stitch at a time, trying to make them nice and even, and evenly-spaced. It is relaxing and challenging.

Pat threading the quilting between (needle), always a challenge!

Currently, I am working on one major project that will take (me) forever to accomplish. A white wholecloth quilt, it is a pre-marked pattern called "Welsh Beauty" by the designer, Holice Turnbow, who created the design. When all of the hand-quilted stitches are put in, the blue lines to show their placement will disappear when the quilt is soaked in cold water.

The quilt is a queen size. I am making it for no one in particular, not even my own use. I like the design and the finished project will go to someone down the line, in the future. Some work calls my name even when or if I have no intended recipient in mind.

So I sit in the corner of my den, open the window and listen to the birds. Every now and then I will hear a Cardinal with its distinctive chipping and will arise to look out the window to see the magnificent red bird and his "wife" close by. There is joy to be found in the simple things: in taking one day at a time, one stitch at a time. Life is good!

Patricia Cummings
http://www.quiltersmuse.com

Studies in Quilt History: Focus on CT

Sue Reich of CT Quilts will conduct a workshop to study old quilts on September 19, 2015 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Windham Textile & History Museum, 411 Main Street, Willimantic, Connecticut. The focus will be last quarter nineteenth century quilts from 1870- 1910. This day is the third session in the series.

A special presentation will be given by Michele Palmer, author of American Toile and The Storied Fabrics of Europe and America. Bring toiles to share. There will be a special viewing of antique sewing machines and a tour of the museum. Bring quilts from the 1870- 1910 time period to share. The cost of the workshop is $70. dollars; lunch is included.

Future workshops planned are: Early Twentieth century quilts: 1910-1940; Mid-Twentieth century quilts: 1940- 1970; and Bicentennial to Millennium Quilts:  1970- 2000.

"Get a Closer Look!"

Contact information is as follows:

CT Quilts
28 Scofield Hill Rd.
Washington Depot, CT  06794
860-868-0028
suereich@charter.net
www.coveringquilthistory.com

The Textiles of the Hmong People

The Textiles of the Hmong People

In the past I have written lengthy articles (for publication) about the Hmong people and their work. If you have ever laid eyes on a piece of H mông Textile Art, you know that it is love at first sight. The intricately stitched creations of Paj ntaub or Pa nDau (pronounced Pond ouw) are made with loving hands and utilize a number of techniques including cross stitch embroidery, surface embroidery, reverse appliqué, and appliqué.

The "H" is silent in H mông and the word sounds like "mung."

Types of Patterns


The H mông people produce two types of textiles: geometric and pictorial (scenes of war and peace). Each piece is uniquely-made and is a one-of-a-kind textile, yet certain recurrent themes are present. Common themes are “Snail’s House,” “Elephant Foot,” and “Ram’s Head,” a few of the geometric design names. Since I can now only post one photo to a Google blog, I will share the following today: a colorful baby carrier. Babies were brought out into the fields by their mothers to do farm chores in the hillside areas where Hmong lived in Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam. Babies wore highly-decorated hats that would look like flowers when viewed from overhead in order to ward off evil spirits and confuse them.

Hmong baby carrier from Thailand
The straps have been cut, according to Hmong beliefs, so as not to bring bad luck to the baby

There are a number of fascinating books available about the Hmong. Their lifestyle appears to be vanishing to some degree, and needlework traditions could become all but lost if the younger generation does not take an interest in learning the finely-tuned skills responsible for Hmong embroidery and appliqué.

Posted by Patricia Cummings

"Take Joy!" - An Essay

Anyone who is familiar with the life and work of Tasha Tudor associates the words "Take joy" with her. As an active writer and children's book illustrator, the artist was inspired by the statement of a fifteenth century monk, Fra Giovanni Angelico, who said: "The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. Take joy." He was a painter, too, which may be one reason that Tudor discovered his words. The whole quotation (the original source of Tudor's phrase) was found in an article in Piecework magazine, March/April 1997.

Just look around and it is easy to see people who look troubled and who seem to be carrying the weight of the world on their backs. Feeling the burdens of age, illness, or simply responsibilities can leave an individual so tired or in pain that "taking joy" does not seem like an option. Yet, we can all find things in life to enjoy, no matter what our circumstances.

Art is a therapeutic venue and it does not have to be "high" art or techniques only learned through expensive classes or an college art education. For example, today I am coloring...with crayons, but on muslin fabric that was silk-screen printed by someone else. I am taking joy in this endeavor. The subject matter is Sunbonnet Sue "babes" doing this and that: catching butterflies, fishing, etc. and the blocks are associated with letters of the alphabet such as "e" for "elephant." The project is quite fun and is one I purchased from Kim Bunchunk years ago now. A smile comes to my face when I sit down to work on these tiny blocks for a miniature quilt.

With quilting projects, it is fun to jump in and try something new, even if one does not fully know what they are doing. There are few mistakes that cannot be disguised in some manner. The importance of any project is to "Take joy!" Think about the person for whom the end project will be given or consider how nice a quilt will look on a bed, a wall, or hanging in a quilt show, possibly with an award ribbon it. I urge you today to be an observant and committed quilter, that is, be aware of what you are doing and why you are doing it. Most of all, take joy in your work!

Hmong Work

Hmong Work

Patricia L. Cummings

My memories of the Vietnam-era are crystal clear: images on the television of fighting going on (during high school years), and protests being mounted at the university as the number of war dead mounted. When the war ended, the Hmong people (who were allies of the United States) tried to escape into Laos by crossing the dangerous Mekong River. As the scene below indicates, they used any method available: swimming, traveling in small plastic tubs, or trying to make their way on make-shift rafts.

Pictorial representation of the flight across the Mekong River

In Laos, there was little to do in the camps where the Hmong people were given safe haven. Men and women alike passed the time by doing needlework. The Hmong women have a strong tradition of appliqué work. When some of them migrated to the United States, supported by the Mennonite Church, the women found work doing appliqué on quilts for the Mennonite tourist trade in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Mennonites are very good at piecing and hand-quilting but not so skilled at appliqué. In Amish country, it is not widely-broadcast that many of the quilts are appliquéd by Hmong hands for fear that people would feel cheated if they thought a quilt was not totally constructed by an Amish or Mennonite quilter. 

The pictorial needlework of the Hmong sits in two camps: scenes of the people escaping the Communists and remembrances of peaceful villages. In addition, the Hmong are known for their tiny reverse appliqué and appliqué which are included in useful objects such as tote bags, small bags suitable to hold a camera, baby carriers, and many other items of utilitarian value. They also make exquisite "pictures," that could be framed. Today, the Hmong young people are assimilating into U.S. culture and the needlework is becoming a craft allocated to older Hmong. We could consider their type of needlework a "dying art." The skill involved in creating Hmong work make it important but its greatest significance is the celebration of a culture and that group's collective memories.

Molas

Molas

by Patricia L. Cummings

One would not understand the intricacies involved in making molas, if one were a casual tourist to one of the archipelagos off the coast of Panama where this type of work continues to be made by the Kuna Indians. What is a mola? It is a layered garment, usually a blouse panel (made in pairs) that features appliqué and reverse appliqué. The front and the back of the blouse are similar but not exactly congruent and the blouse is often disassembled, each part sold separately to the unsuspecting public who may not realize that they are purchasing worn goods.

A most interesting mola with Black faces and lots of quilting stitches rendered in an echo stitching style

The molas are often very bright in color and often take their themes from sports or news magazines or advertisements left behind by the tourists. The motifs are eclectic and varied and only limited by the imagination of the mola maker. Making molas is a skill passed down from mother to daughter and it is a craft also engaged in by albino men. On my website, there is a lengthy article about molas with lots of photos:  http://www.quiltersmuse.com/A-History-of-Molas.html

We have seen several excellent exhibits of molas over the last 20 years: one was mounted at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT; the other was at Dartmouth's Hood Museum.

Redwork Cartoon Characters

Redwork Figures Straight from the “Funny Papers”

by Patricia L. Cummings

photo by James Cummings

A unique Redwork quilt reveals a quilter's sense of humor, love of country life
and penchant for fanciful designs!

Recently, an irresistible quilt surfaced at an estate sale held at the former home of Bernice Berkheiser Reeder (1917-2011), Emmaus, (in Berk's County), Pennsylvania. This particular Redwork quilt includes a number of prominent comic strip characters of the twentieth century. Other designs in the quilt call to mind a possible association with fairy tales such as “the Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Ugly Duckling.”At least one nursery rhyme is represented and other blocks demonstrate the quilt maker's love of farm animals. Evidently made to be enjoyed by a young person during the 1930s/1940s, this charming twin size bed quilt measures 75 inches x 64 inches.

Redwork Cartoon Characters Quilt 

Mrs. Reeder, a former silk mill employee who worked in the Allentown, Pennsylvania area, attached little notes to other objects found in her home after her death. For example, the hat she wore in 1935 on New Year's Eve has a paper attached to it that delineates all of her activities that evening. A set of bisque bride and groom figures are identified as having graced her wedding cake. Unfortunately, she left no written provenance to indicate who embroidered and hand-quilted this quilt. Since the lucky acquisition of this special vintage textile, we have been busy trying to identify some sources of its designs.

“Li'l Abner”

“Li'l Abner” (Yokum), the main character of a syndicated comic strip that ran from 1934 to 1977, is depicted on a quilt block in the top row. A product of the imagination of cartoonist Al Capp, Li'l Abner lives in the hillbilly haven of Dogpatch, Kentucky. Although handsome, one of Li'l Abner's goals is to avoid marriage even though he is pursued by willing young ladies. He continues to live at the home of his parents, Mammy and Pappy Yokum. Other characters featured in a film that I viewed include “Daisy Mae,” “Hairless Joe” and “Earthquake McGoo,” all very amusing!

“Maggie” and “Jiggs”

My husband, Jim, recognizes two side by side figures in the fourth row down as “Maggie” and “Jiggs” from the comic strip titled “Bringing Up Father.” These characters were first introduced by cartoonist George McManus circa 1911 and were firmly established in their own comic strip in 1913. Both the conflict and humor of the series centers on the million dollars that “Jiggs” won in a lottery. He was suddenly catapulted from the status of “shanty Irish” to “lace curtain Irish,” terms common in the twentieth century that amuse me as my paternal grandmother of Irish ancestry was fond of using them! In stereotypical fashion, Jiggs' social-climbing wife is unwillingly to allow him to continue hanging around with his Irish friends who frequent the local tavern and favor eating corned beef and cabbage (an Irish-American dish, not of Irish origin!).

“Blondie”

At the far right side of the fourth row down is a figure that looks like “Blondie,” often described as a “carefree flapper.” The popular slang word “flapper” is reserved for young ladies of the 1920s whose morality was sometimes questioned because of their short dresses, intake of alcohol, and performance of dances new at the time.” First drawn by Chick Young and first published in 1930, the “Blondie” comic strip features “Blondie Boopadoop.” According to wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, the name “Boopadoop” stems from a song popularized by singer Helen Kane in 1928. Blondie is later featured as Mrs. Bumstead, appearing in the series “Dagwood Bumstead,” as a married woman with two children, Alexander and Cookie, and a dog named “Daisy” with her pups.

“Popeye” and “Wimpy”

Some of the comic strip figures, such as “Popeye,” are readily recognizable. On a quilt block, his muscular arm seems to be at-the-ready to hit someone (perhaps the bully, Bluto, who was always trying to win over the affection of Olive Oil, Popeye's girlfriend. Those familiar with this character will remember his favorite song, a defining statement: “I'm Popeye the Sailor Man, I'm Popeye the Sailor Man, I'm strong to the finish cuz I eats me spinach, I'm Popeye the Sailor Man!”

On another block, an image of Popeye's friend “J. Wellington Wimpy,” is embroidered. He is better known as “The Moocher” whose main quest in life is to eat hamburgers, especially ones he can attain by trickery. His memorable line is “I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today!”

“Mickey Mouse,” “Minnie Mouse” and “Dagwood”

Two Walt Disney stars who are “mouse” figures are featured in the sixth row down and need no introduction. One block over is “Dagwood Bumstead,” appears to be running. He made his debut in Chic Young's “Blondie” comic strip circa 1933. Dagwood is perhaps most remembered for his elaborate “Dagwood sandwich,” a specialty that he concocted that was stacked high with lunch meat and other ingredients. He is constantly tries to manage daily challenges like trying to get to work on time and having run-ins with other characters. He is especially protective of the virtue of his popular daughter, “Cookie,” who has many suitors.

Farm Animal Blocks

Variety of blocks is the name of the game for this unusual quilt. Included are many examples of farm animals. A calf with his head in a bucket, a cowboy on horseback wielding a lasso, a horse jumping a fence, a boy holding a watering can accompanied by his faithful canine companion, a pig with piglets, a goose and her goslings, a sheep and lambs, as well as a rooster, all call to mind life in the country. The former owner of this quilt appears to have loved farm animals. Both plastic and carved wood figurines of horses and cows were found as part of her collected items.

Animals: a Constant Theme

Several large dog designs remind me of “Lassie” but it is difficult to know whether or not that particular fictional dog inspired the blocks. “Lassie” was first introduced in the novel Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight in 1940. Three years later, the first Lassie movie was produced by MGM studios.

A dressed-up pig and a fish in a tuxedo are a couple of the more whimsical blocks. In Red & White: American Redwork Quilts, Deborah Harding identifies a similar image of a bunny holding a shovel as “Peter Rabbit.” The character is featured in the famous book “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter, first created in 1893 and first published in 1901. According to Harding, the inclusion of this particular figure would date the quilt to sometime after 1910.

Various profiles of girls are present, some of which resemble figures seen on other nineteenth century quilts and some of which look like Sunbonnet Sue figures. A nursery rhyme block with the words, “Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater,” is the same design that appears on a vintage Bluework child's quilt in my collection.

Public Records

In attempting to learn more about the woman who loved this quilt, the only tangible information came from public records. The obituary of Bernice E. (Berkheiser) Reeder (1917-2011) states that she was active in the Veteran's of Foreign Wars. She was married for 57 years to Bland W. Reeder (1916-1999), foreman in the slag plant of Bethlehem Steel Corporation. He retired in 1978. The couple is buried at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery (for veterans) in Annville, (Lebanon County) Pennsylvania.

The edges of the Redwork quilt show signs of being “well-used and well-loved.” Nonetheless, we are so happy that this precious quilt was saved! Its images are a window to the twentieth century life, a time of turbulence when keeping a sense of humor was crucial to one's sense of well-being. Newspapers at that time were an even more vital means of communication than today and readers could always find a chuckle in the slice-of-life comics section. One point is clear: the person who made this quilt enjoyed choosing these designs!

A Buy for the Soul

All things considered, at the present time this quilt is a favorite! After many washings, the quilt feels very soft to the touch. The batting has migrated, obscuring the lines of quilting from the front. However, in turning the quilt to the reverse side, it is apparent that the quilter drew designs that resemble flower petals as a guide for hand quilting each block from that side. I will enlist the help of readers to discover about this quilt. If anyone knows the origin of any of the other blocks, please feel free to contact me by writing to quiltersmuse@gmail.com Studying this quilt and trying to decipher its “mysteries” is certainly a lot of fun!

Copyright 2014. Patricia L. Cummings, Concord, NH. All rights reserved.

Why Do We Quilt?

Why are you a quilter? Is it because you enjoy the social aspects of it, being part of a group, or participating in show and tell, or displaying your latest masterpiece in a quilt show? Do you like to be recognized for your hard work, your intricate designs, your prowess with a needle? Are you a hand quilter who concentrates on getting more stitches per inch so as to be considered a "master quilter?" Do you enjoy machine work where you can overcome some of the disadvantages of working on a machine and learn to appliqué by machine or machine quilt the layers together?

Is quilting an emotional outlet, a way to pass time after the loss of a child, parent, or spouse? Do you quilt so "your heart won't break?" Do you choose patterns that have lots of pieces so you can keep track and set a record for the number of pieces in your pieced quilt? Do you like to use scraps from family member's clothing as a way to remember them? Do you use quilting as a means of political expression or to honor specific politicians? Do you include words on the surface of your quilt so others may better understand your viewpoints?

Do you like to include thread painting of animals on your quilts, a trend we are seeing lately in shows? Do you make multi-media quilts whereby part of the design is hand-painted, or embroidered?
Do you make "sane" quilts or "Crazy Quilts"...that is traditional pieced or appliquéd quilts or Victorian style quilts that are asymmetrically-pieced and often embroidered heavily. Do you make quilts that are humorous and likely to make others smile?

Do you work exclusively in one style of quilting, such as Hawaiian quilting, or do you branch out to other types of quilts? Are you an artist who uses quilting as a medium but are not a quilter, first and foremost? How concerned are you with creating pleasing color palettes or using precision in your work? Do you make quilts to sell? Do you finish quilts made by other people either by hand quilting or long arm machine quilting?

"Country Bride" quilt; Rachel Pellman pattern; queen size; hand appliquéd, hand quilted, scalloped edge;
made by Patricia L. Cummings. This was quilted to pass the time during "Desert Storm."

Will your work outlast you, or do you hope that it will? Are you careful about whom you give your work to, making sure that person will be a good caretaker of your creation? People quilt for many reasons and quilts survive whether attributed or not. Sometimes, in the heat of exchange by dealers, names of quilters get lost. This is a reason to document your own quilts with an identifying tag.

Those are a lot of questions to consider? I would hope that quilters think about the process and why they like to quilt. Many would say they quilt for "fun." We all love the finished products but quilting is not all that easy. To make beautiful quilts requires expertise and experience. We wish you joy in the endeavor of quilting. With so many quilters out there, including grandmothers who are making quilts for their grandchildren or anticipated great-grandchildren, there must be something to this thing we call "quilting." Quilts: wrap yourself in their love and feel the intensity of emotion that goes into making each one. Happy Quilting!

Uzbek Ceremonial Textile

Embroidered Textile from Uzbekistan

Patricia L. Cummings

The textiles of Uzbekistan are colorful, ceremonial, and practical. Chapans, a type of robe, are exquisitely-made. Much needlework is required to create the small bags that are used to carry the Al-Quran, the Holy Book of Islam, as well as other small things. Suzani are often a part of a woman's diary and can be useful, as in pillow covers, or decorative items to display on a wall. Traditional styles of dress vary with each region. A Koshukdon is a bag to hold silverware that hangs inside a yurt, a portable home used by nomads. Many of the items are silk adras, a combination of silk and cotton, or wool.

Chimildik  87" x 56"

We are happy to be able to show you a Chimildik that was used to decorate the front entrance to a yurt (portable housing for nomads) after a wedding to welcome the new couple. It dates from the early 20th century and is described as a "rare Suzani." Hand-dyed silk and cotton, dyed with natural substances were used. The piece is heavily embroidered. The base is velvet and is bordered by silk ikat-adras, as described by the former owner. This type of work combines Uzbek and Kirghiz techniques.

The Dutch National Skirt

The Dutch National  Skirt – A Means to Remember

Patricia L. Cummings

After the end of World War II, a woman in the Netherlands, Mrs. Mies Boissevain-van Lennep (1896-1965), a feminist, a social activist, and a resistance fighter during the war who gave refuge to Jewish children and others, instituted a program whereby Dutch women would construct patchwork skirts in a type of Crazy Patchwork style. Each skirt would be composed of pieces of cloth that had a memory associated with them. Perhaps, the fabric had been part of a shirt or other garment of someone who had been taken away by the Nazis, never to have been seen again.

A National Movement Inspired by a Scarf

The making of skirts became a national movement.  The women were asked to embroider the date “5 mei 1945” on the front of the skirt (the date represents Liberation Day on May 5, 1945). Each skirt was required to have a set of triangles to serve as the bottom hem and those were to be embroidered with the date that the skirt was worn for either special family occasions or public events such as the Queen’s Jubilee or the National Memorial Day.

Dutch National Skirt with embroidered dates on the orange triangular hem to indicate when the skirt was worn.

For her efforts of harboring refugees, Mrs. Boissevain was arrested in 1943 and sent to two different German-run concentration camps. At the first camp, her laundry packet from home included a patchwork scarf that had been made for her. After seeing how much joy the colorful patches brought to her fellow inmates, she was inspired. The scarf was confiscated but lived on in memory and is credited with being an incentive for the Dutch National Skirt.

Registry of Skirts Established

Mrs. Boissevain paid a high price for her political/social activities. Her husband was also arrested and sent to a camp where he died, and her two sons and a nephew were executed. After the war she was not dissuaded from further involvement in causes.  She encouraged the establishment of a National Registry of the skirts. Of the 4,000 skirts made, perhaps no more than 100 exist, some in private collections and some in museums. An Moonen, a Dutch textiles and quilts specialist, has one from her aunt. Each skirt was stamped, numbered, and given a card.

The skirts were seen as a means of healing and comfort to families, and a way to provide the solidarity needed for reconstruction of the country.

Names of Skirts

They were called feestrok (Festival Skirt); or in Holland, were also known by three different names which, translated, mean “skirt of life,” “liberation skirt,” or “orange skirt.” The latter is a reference to the House of Orange from which the royal monarchs (Queen Wilhemina and her daughter, Princess Juliana) had descended. When skirts were brought to the United States to be put on display in 1948, the name “The Magic Skirt of Reconstruction” was assigned them, according to Jolande Withius of Amsterdam, Netherlands in her research paper “Patchwork Politics in the Netherlands, 1946-50: women, gender and the World War II trauma [1].”

Interpretation of Embroidery of One Skirt, Seen Online

My Dutch-born friend, the late Hendrika van Dongen, who lived through World War II in her parents' basement, subsisting on tulip bulbs during the “hunger winter of 1944-1945,” spotted a lion Dutch Coat of Arms. The initials “J” and “B” stand for Queen Julianna and her husband, Bernat, who was German-born.  Van Dongen said there is a reference to church bells being silent (not tolling), probably because metals were confiscated to make armaments for the combatants. There is an image of food parachutes that dropped white bread in the center of the city. [Parachutes can also represent English troops being dropped from the sky]. The words “Bent but not broken” are embroidered on that particular skirt, used to describe a flagpole, as well as the attitude of the Dutch people, she said. The word “mof” is slang and means “rotten German” and is a word her father, a school teacher, used a lot. The skirt was formerly visible on an online website.

about.com quilting Entry

At an antiques market (in the Netherlands?) some years ago, a woman named Marianne found a patchwork skirt with the embroidered date of 5 mei 1946. She recognized the item as being a Dutch National Skirt. She knew the background of the woman who started the movement, and to accompany a post on about.com quilting, she added a photo of her [Mrs. Boissevain] when she was on tour in New York. [During her U.S. tour, she compared color to vitamins, calling them “a life necessity,” according to Withius' paper.]

The other photo she posted was of two skirts in a museum. She states “Mine is very similar to the right one. The patches are sewn on a foundation, the seams are folded inside and with white thread and a straight stitch is sewn very close to the edge. (It wasn’t made by a quilter…),” she adds, “But I’m very happy to have found this piece of history.” Marianne did not divulge what her nationality is or in what country she found the skirt.

Summary

The trend of making the skirts lasted only a few years. There is one skirt that was collected by the Fries Verzetsmuseum that was made by Mrs. De Jong-Bronwer. She embroidered very violent and tragic scenes and included the Nazi swastika. The museum owns two of these skirts. At least five or six museums in the Netherlands are saving Dutch National skirts in their collections. They are a reminder when women joined together to have one “voice,” that of harmony. They even sang the “National Skirt” song that has three verses some of which say, “Plait into your skirt the pattern of your life,” and “Shape your skirt a together connectedness.” Yes, connectedness and solidarity were the watchwords of the Dutch National skirt phenomena. The skirts are all but forgotten today but they continue to show the importance of textiles in our lives.

See a photo of Dutch National skirt at: http://www.verzetsmuseum.org/museum/nl/kinderen/voorkant/bevrijding/bevrijding-feestrok

Additional links:

http://www.collectiegelderland.nl/organisaties/bevrijdingsmuseum/voorwerp-3.2.21

http://www.dtnt.nl/kleding/De-nationale-bevrijdingsrok

http://www.openluchtmuseum.nl/ontdek-het-museum/collectie-voorwerpen/object-van-de-maand/bevrijdingsrok/

http://centraalmuseum.nl/ontdekken/object/?img_only=1#o:20971

"Seven Daffodils"

Daffodils in our yard

Travelin' on with the Weavers (Loom Productions Inc., 1966) is a songbook that features folk songs including "Seven Daffodils." The song was written by Fran Moseley with music by Lee Hays. One of the verses says:

Seven golden daffodils
All shining in the sun
To light the way to evening
When our day is done.

Refrain:

And I will give you music
And a crust of bread
A pillow of piney boughs
To rest your head.

In our yard there are two patches of daffodils, the ones the bloom first, up near the house in a sheltered place; and those that bloom across the yard where the tall bushes shelter them from direct sun. They are cheerful little things and for us the first harbinger of spring along with the Glory of the Snow little blue flowers which always compete with being the first to open.

It seems appropriate that daffodils would find their way into a  love song that ends with:

But I will show you morning
On a thousand hills
And kiss you, and give you
Seven daffodils.

The Weavers is a performing group that will not soon be forgotten. Their folk music is timeless. Some of my favorite songs appear on the pages of the two songbooks of theirs that I own.

Happy spring!

Quilts as Message Conveyors

Signature Quilts made for a specific person are perfect places to write messages of love and appreciation. In future years, the messages will bring remembrance and a fondness for the past. The most famous Signature Quilts are the Baltimore Album Quilts made in the 1850s for departing ministers of the Methodist Church who had served in the Baltimore area. I can think of many other quilts of this type that I have either seen or participated in making over the last 30 years. Today, I am writing this blog to share one touching statement that is from a quilt made in 1850 in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

"May the sweet gales of happiness bear you safely down the currents of time and land you gently on the shores of eternity."

The late Lucinda Cawley had recorded this message while viewing the quilt on display and shared it with an online list afterward. She was known for her travels to see quilts and her lengthy and much-appreciated descriptions of what she had seen. Like all of our dearly departed quilt friends, we certainly hope that she landed "gently on the shores of eternity."

This Friendship Quilt has birthday wishes

"The Meaning of Forever": the UGRR Myth

This is a reprint of an essay I wrote in 2006 about the "secret quilt code." I am posting this today in response to a photo in a recent issue of a popular quilting magazine which shows a copy of the disputed book Hidden in Plain View, a book based on the "pure speculation" of the author that a code existed as stitched into quilt blocks that provided slaves directions for escape: where to go and how to act, specifically.

"The Meaning of Forever" - an essay written in 2006

by Patricia L. Cummings

Like war, taxes and the dust in my house, the Hidden
in Plain View Myth will go on and on amid
false claims, disgruntlement and complaints. I
don't like unpleasantness but I also did not create
this situation. The responsibility for that lies
elsewhere. To lie down in the road only to be run over by a
10 wheeler truck of deception is a little much to
ask.

As far as explaining why the secret quilt code is not
feasible, in terms of quilt blocks and their names,
I've already made a stab at doing that on my website
and in magazines available for anyone to read. If someone
has more information about those historical details,
that has not already been provided, please share it with me.

As a quilter and needleworker, I am a creative person,
and this whole HIPV issue has been a major sidetrack.
Yet, I've taken time from my own work to keep
addressing the issue, ONLY because it keeps coming up.
However, the fact remains that my words either preach
to the choir, as I had said previously, or tick off
those who are not in accord with my opinions and those
shared by serious quilt historians and historians of American
history. We all have been working hard to dispel the myth.

Today, I shall go into my studio to work on something
lovely. I shall play enchanting Celtic music, and I'll
try NOT to think of this thorn-in-the-foot topic. I shall
also give a silent prayer of thanks for ALL of
you. Isn't it great that we live in a country where
the voices of ALL can be heard? The price of your
personal freedom has been great and continues because
of the sacrifices of many!

One name of this block is "Bear's Paw"

My Thoughts Today

Since 1999, the secret quilt code as purported by Raymond Dobard in his book Hidden in Plain View has taken on a life of its own, promoted by individuals who have neither read the book nor are quilt historians (those who understand the time frame of some of the quilt pattern designs mentioned, some of which are 20th century designs not in use at the time period of the Underground Railroad). Worst of all, perhaps, was a book by Eleanor Burns: Underground Railroad Quilts. The book built upon the legend by providing designs for quilters to make a so-called "Underground Railroad Quilt."

I am appalled that after all of the public discussion of this topic that people are still "true believers" of the quilt code. It is as though the book(s) have a cult following. It must be easier to believe this sanitized view of Black History than to reconcile oneself to the viciousness and hatred and domination that prevailed toward Blacks at the time they were attempting to escape. My writings on this topic are a matter of record, having appeared in magazines (illustrated articles), and (previously) online.

I revisit the topic here, years later, as a reminder that like "dust," the story seems never ending. Why should it? I understand that there are still presenters who give lectures on this topic and their stories get more and more elaborate (and made of wholecloth) with each presentation. My main objection is that the code is taught in schools as Gospel truth. It is such a shame to feed baloney to our children. I predict that the secret quilt code shall be present in our lives forever.

Crazy Quilt Block to Remember Mother

Greetings from New Hampshire,

Crazy Quilting was considered the first form of "art" quilting and to some extent reflects the aesthetics of the Japanese penchant for asymmetry, first noted at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Recently, I posted a photo of my latest Crazy Quilt (just a block) which is more of an tangible expression of emotion than a quilt for quilting's sake. You see, when I made the quilt, I was remembering my mother. I wrote an article about the experiences of her life, late in the game, and I include a photo of the quilt block. What is art, if not to express our reflections and responses to life?

http://www.quiltersmuse.com/A-Crazy-Quilt-Block-to-Remember-Mother.html

 

Best regards,

Patricia L. Cummings

http://www.quiltersmuse.com

Bunnies and Easter

Bunnies in Redwork Embroidery

On this Easter weekend I am wondering how bunnies ever became associated with chocolate and how the Easter bunny's bringing candy of all sorts ever started. We love bunnies! They are cute, cuddly, and usually don't make any noise. They are soft, fun to watch when they are hopping about or eating.

On antique coverlets, I have seen plenty of bunnies including the mother and babies design above, rendered in Redwork, a perfect medium for catching the "expressions" on their faces, don't you think?

Happy Easter, if that is a holiday you celebrate. It is a day more special than Christmas to Christians inasmuch as the idea that Jesus rose from the dead gives hope to all of eternal salvation.

Easter will be a tad colder than usual here in New England. We are waiting for the weather to warm up but it is still in the 40s and windy. Wherever you are on Easter, I wish you a happy day filled with joy!

The Demise of The Quilter Magazine

In September 1999, All-American Crafts published an article in Traditional Quilter magazine that I wrote about a Temperance quilt top for which I provided the pattern. The editor told me that if I ever wanted to publish anything else to please let her know as she would be interested. The next issue found an article I wrote about an unusual potholder I found and re-created. It was the most clever thing I have ever seen to the point that it could never be duplicated exactly because of its unusual 19th century fabrics. Again, the editor mentioned that if I ever wanted to submit anything else she would like first dibs.

As time went on, I submitted more than 90 articles (in Traditional Quilter, The Quilter, Fabric Trends, and Scrap Quilt Favorites) and I loved researching old quilts and sharing what I found out about them. I wrote about other textiles, as well, such as hankies, Hmong work, and political quilt blocks, to name a few topics. Sometimes, I provided a pattern. To say that I was "invested" in All-American Crafts and in particular, The Quilter magazine, would be an understatement. I loved the magazine and had a great working relationship with the staff.

I was told that on 8-8-2014, the CEO called employees together and told them the magazine had declared bankruptcy. It was a sad day for many. In a small company such as that, the regular employees are also 'invested" and committed to making the enterprise a "go." However, in these trying financial times, there was no money to pay the printer and he decided not to print any more magazines on credit.

An article that I wrote about Grandma Moses and her quilts and needlework was to have run in two parts, Part 1 scheduled for that next issue. All of my work of research and a trip to Bennington Museum to photograph the artifacts was about to go down the tubes as was the high cost, already paid by the magazine, fees charged by Galerie St. Etienne who controls the legal right to any reproductions of Moses' work.

I wondered if Bennington Museum would be interested in featuring a research paper in their Walloomsack Review publication. The museum owns the lion share of most of Moses' paintings and most all of her other items. They were happy to include some of the information I'd uncovered and that will be published on or about April 21. So, not all is lost. I am just sorry that the photos will be fewer and will not be in color in the interior of the publication as is the case of most academic journals. Yet, the images will give you an idea of the diversity of Moses' work.

Still and all, I feel sorry that The Quilter folded. It was an honest publication with a hard-working team of editors who strove hard to "get it right" when it came to pattern directions and manuscripts. Personally, I had a good run of 15 years, nothing to sneeze at. I was able to write some wonderful articles, some of them ground-breaking. I am proud of my work and I hope it will be useful to future researchers.

This post reflects my opinions and information insofar as I know it to be true. In the course of human endeavors, everything is always more complicated that it first seems. I have presented this account in the interest of readers who may have wondered what happened to their subscriptions. We all loved the products of All-American Crafts and for a very long time, the magazine filled a gap by offering quilt history articles to the general public whereas most other magazines concentrated mostly on pattern offerings. We are sorry to see The Quilter's demise.

Patricia Cummings

Spring is Here!

Spring is here and we are thinking about flowers and the upcoming gardening season. We are still enjoying the gardening efforts of last year. The packets of raspberries and blackberries and rhubarb in the freezer accompany green beans from the garden and believe it or not, we are still eating Butternut Squash from that same garden. We are blessed with good soil and a great climate for growing things.

Jim started Celeriac seeds weeks ago and the little plants are awfully cute. He has them under a grow light where I also keep African Violets and some cacti plants. All of this made me remember some photos Jim took in 2007 of flowering plants in the yard, one of which was a Poppy. I asked him to "find" the photo file and print out the image on Quilted Treasures transfer paper. I plan to make a pillow with the small panel that resulted.

This image was transferred to fabric and will become part of a small pillow. Photo by James Cummings

The daffodils are poking up and budding up among the myrtle by the side of the house. About a month ago, Jim brought home from the grocery store a bundle of Daffodils from Ireland. They were the burst of sunshine we needed. What a change from the long dreary winter of being shut in most of the time and happy that I did not have to go out to work like others who braved the icy, snowy roads to do so. I have never looked forward more to spring in my entire life. It was a very rough winter here in New England.

Think spring and warm weather!

Snow

Snow in southern Vermont, March 7, 2015

This photo was sent to me by Charlotte Croft, a friend in Vermont who is also tired of seeing snow. This shows her wood pile covered. We are all ready for warmer weather here in the northeast. Looks like no more snow is in sight according to the last weather reports and temps next week may offer day time numbers in the 40s - all good news.

We love to see the first snowfall and certainly, everyone feels more in the spirit of the holidays when there is snow on the ground. By March, after backbreaking shoveling or emptying one's pocketbook to let the professionals take care of snow, we are ready for sunshine.

My husband ordered garden seeds a few weeks ago and is already trying to sprout some Celeriac under grow lights. Ever the optimist, he sees spring on its way and is probably counting the days until mud season is over (the 5th season in New England).

I do not remember when snow reached a level above the window sills or so many roofs collapsed under the weight of it or there were so many traffic accidents shown on television, across the nation. The old timers used to say that "Snow is God's manure" meaning that snow has micro-nutrients that enrich the soil. Be that as it may, we shall have snow in our yards for at least a few more weeks but as the sun gets stronger it will finally melt, much to the glee of most of us by now. Meanwhile, some of us are making quilts. I enjoy seeing all of the quilts, old and new, that can be seen online.

Patricia Cummings

Book Review: Mi Amor Legacy Applique

Mi Amor Legacy Applique by Margarete Heinisch is an AQS Publication that offers block by block instruction for a variety of Baltimore Album style quilt blocks. The book includes a CD-ROM. Enchanted by the cover, I fell in love with so many of the blocks featured there. A nice variety of blocks include a peacock, baskets of flowers, symmetrical flower blocks, blocks with musical instruments, ships, hearts and more. The result of making these blocks is a beautiful quilt that is nicely quilted. I particularly like the eagle and the flag block. A block with just one large butterfly looks outstanding.

This is an ambitious project. One would have to be an avid applique and needle artist to want to attempt it. For me, the book is eye candy and a study of the continuation of historical motifs traditionally used in that style of quilting so popular during the late 1840-early 1860 period known as Baltimore Album Quilts. The book would be a lovely one to add to your library and may just give you inspiration on a cold winter's day.

Patricia Cummings

New Website Tells History of Quilts

http://worldquilts.quiltstudy.org

A new website titled "World Quilts" is just being launched to tell the history of quilts worldwide. It is a collaborative effort of scholars associated with the International Quilt Study Center. This announcement was made in Quilter's Newsletter Magazine, February/March 2015. With any luck, photos and descriptions will advance the discussion of quilts.

The Waltons' Quilting Party

Every now and then when I want to feel really good about the past I play the DVD of one of the episodes of the Waltons. The gist of the story is that grandma has been saving and collecting quilt blocks to make a quilt for Mary Ellen when she gets married. When grandma mentions that a-quilting will be at hand, the would-be recipient of the quilt gets in a stir. No, she does not want to get married and have babies, do dishes and laundry. She has her eye on more lofty things to do. She would like to do something more important by becoming a nurse.

After all of the fuss and hurt feelings, Mary Ellen "comes around" and decides to sit in on the quilting bee, next to grandma. At the end of the show, all of the family members arrive singing the song "Seein' Miss Nelly Home" (from the quilting party). Grandpa is dancing as is everyone else when they barge in the door in an exuberant fashion. It was a happy scene and one I won't forget any time soon.

I love shows like the Waltons whose themes are timeless and whose strong family values are apparent. The show may seem "old" now because, after all, the older characters have passed on and the younger ones are all well into adulthood. For me, I never tired of seeing the cast. They capture a moment in time and stories that still need to be told today!

Patricia L. Cummings

Autumn Leaves Quilt by Tamara S.

For many years now I have corresponded with Tamara Shployanska, a master quilter originally from Ukraine, now residing in Germany where she teaches quilting techniques. Yesterday she sent a photo of a recently-completed quilt that I thought you might enjoy seeing.

Patricia Cummings

"Too Old Too Soon..."

There is a saying "Too old too soon, too late too smart." When we are young, we think we know it all and that we have already experienced all that life has to offer. That is never true especially if we count the weeds as well as the flowers. Certainly, no one is ever ready to not be able to "see" as well as before, yet many older adults are forced to have cataract surgery to improve their vision after years of use have clouded the lenses of their eyes with a "fog" like substance.

The operation is usually very short at the hands of a skilled surgeon who performs it in an operating room at a hospital. The before care and after care are vital to the operation's success. The doctor will warn against heavy lifting, no driving, and the use of specific eye drops for awhile. Friends who have had the operation state that it has had very good results for them. An artificial lens is placed within the eye and will be a permanent fixture...forever.

Some things, like memory, can fail as we age. Memory games designed to improve memory seem to be just enjoyable pastimes with no real effect on memory gain.

One thing is certain, aging is not for ninnies. It takes courage to face all of the new health challenges constantly being presented. "Too old too soon, too late too smart." Yes, in the end we know a lot more but then again, who is asking for our opinion or advice? The young already know it all! If you are looking for me, I'll be quilting!

Change

As the old year turned to a new one, I spent some time thinking about the inevitability of change. As humans, we like to feel that we can control life circumstances. We tell ourselves that our feelings of security will increase if only we acquire more financial resources or more education. While money can help to change certain things in our lives, it is not the total answer. You see, we cannot control the destiny of our lives or the ones we love.

A friend tells me that every day something catastrophic happens on earth: a plane goes totally missing with no trace; there are cyber threats and other threats that are dealt with by a watchful military. There are fires in factories and hotels. Just turn on the television for a short time and it is easier to learn all of the domestic-related violence that is going on in your own neck of the woods.

In all of this, the good news is that we can make small changes every day that will add up to improved health. Skip the piece of cake and take a walk - easier said than done! Make resolutions but not long-term ones. One can keep a resolution for just a day. If you have a stack of thank you notes to write, prepare one a day until they are all sent.

Some changes are much bigger than us. We cannot control if or when a loved one will die. None of us is ready for such a life-changing event.

One of the important lessons of life, according to a dear friend who is 89 years old is to realize that we are all ALONE. Ultimately, we have to come to this conclusion. No matter what age we become, we cannot depend on children or any caregiver to change that overwhelming feeling that just will not quit and is all the more reason to have continued interests in the world and in current associates. The key to a happy life is involvement and ever-present education through television, the Internet and books.

My wish for you in 2015 is for you to be invested in your own life and its development. Make sure you are an "investigator" who has a willingness and openness for more learning. Best wishes for happiness and for increased health. May 2015 be the best year ever!

Patricia Cummings

Christmas

The Christmas story is a triumphant one which centers on poverty. The parents of Jesus were so poor they stayed in a lowly barn surrounded by barn animals giving off the only heat in the place via their breath. The shepherd, guarding his flock by night, was poor money-wise but enriched by the sight of the newborn King. The Magi, the Three Kings, arrived from afar to pay tribute to a "King" who would ultimately be scourged and crucified as the "King of the Jews." Don't forget that Jesus was Jewish!

Today, we often overlook the roots of Christmas a day celebrated since the 4th century on December 25 when the then Pope set that date to compete with the Winter Solstice activities of the pagans. In those dark days of the year, we long to see light and color.

What does Christmas mean to you? To some it is office parties, or getting drunk, or shopping to excess with credit cards. To others, like me, it is a time of solemn reflection of the year just past and a questioning of just how "good" I have been throughout the past year. To some it is all about getting gifts and for others, giving them. We often weigh and ponder for months beforehand just what items would bring pleasure to our friends and relatives and then set to work either making those gifts or making phone calls to vendors.

I like the pause, the break in the hustle and bustle, as we ponder the Christ child in the manger. Ultimately, the holiday is about him, not about our own greed or preoccupation with material goods. There will be time in the ensuing days after Christmas to try to return clothes that were not the right size, candles that were not quite the right color, or duplicate items that we really wanted so badly, we may have told more than one person.

In the midst of all of the commercialism, the new electronic "toys" etc., I hope that you will take the time to think of the words of "Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem," a peaceful and peace-giving song for the ages. It is fun to give presents, a tradition of Christmas started by the Magi, after all. But there is more to celebrating the holiday than eating rum cake and drinking egg nog.

I wish you a very rich Christmas steeped in the traditions of your own family. While listening to "Holly Jolly Christmas" please take a moment to realize once again that Jesus is at the center of the celebration and a message of peace. The jolly old man has to take a back seat. In fact, the Santa tradition, the Christmas tree, and many of the ways we celebrate the holiday stem from practices started in the 19th century.

However you enjoy the holiday, we hope that this Christmas day is the happiest ever for you no matter where you are or how much or how little you may have materially. Joy and peace are the gifts of the season and the message of Christianity: that a savior was born into the world to save all sinners and bring eternal life. No greater gift could be given by anyone.

Best wishes to my Jewish friends in their celebration of Chanukah - the Festival of Lights, and to all other people in the world who observe holy days during this time of the year.

Newly-Published Book Perfect for Fireside

Wild Hen Turkeys are never "in season" in New Hampshire

Happy Thanksgiving! We have been celebrating all week with specialty foods of the season like egg nog, cut-up-veggies and various dips. While the rest of the crowd is on the road to somewhere tomorrow, we will be in our cozy abode cooking a turkey and watching the snow flakes come down. Looks like our area will get at least 8-12 inches of snow, if not more.

When we go into hibernation mode, that is the time to find a good book to read. My pick of the week is Quilters Questions: A Book of Curious Queries by Kyra E. Hicks (Black Threads Press, 2014). The back says that the book "is perfect for quilters of any age or skill level. Paced with delightful, humorous, and thought-provoking questions, this engaging read will provide hours of fun and conversation. Explore topics ranging from quilter identity, creative inspiration, collaboration, legacy and more!"

There are 322 questions and some blank pages for the reader to write in their own questions. This book is a lot of fun! Admittedly, I have only had time to look through about 1/3 of the book but one of the great features is that the reader can come back to the book at anytime without a sense of interruption. The size of the book would make it a great stocking-stuffer for the holidays. If I have not convinced you to purchase a copy yourself, perhaps you can drop a hint to a friend or family member who is seeking gift ideas for you -- the quilter of the family!

We are feeling blessed by friends and family this year. From our home to yours, best wishes to you that you enjoy the holidays.

Pat & Jim

New Exhibit and Other Things

These days, the quilts of Gerald Roy are getting around. At the moment, one can view his doll bed/quilt collection at the Warner (NH) Historical Society from Nov. 1 to Dec. 7, each Friday and Saturday, 10-4 p.m. and each Sunday from 1-4 p.m.

At the moment I am thrilled to have discovered a local musician with a lot of talent. He writes and performs his original music scores. His name is Craig Werth and his name came to my attention via the Deerfield (NH) Forum that was advertising an upcoming coffeehouse event where he will perform. After listening to a couple of his songs online, I was hooked and ordered two of his CD-ROMs. I am always looking for good music to play while I am hand quilting that enormous white wholecloth quilt I have been working on. When I am done, it will have thousands of stitches!

Jim is harvesting what remains in the garden. The carrots he will store in sand along with the Jerusalem Artichokes and beets, too. On this chilly night, he has prepared Leek and Potato Soup. The potatoes are "Fingerling" potatoes which are tiny and very tasty.

I am feeling joyful as I write this blog and so blessed with the happiness that this time of year seems to bring, a kind of closeted feeling of "batting down the hatches" and enjoying the simple things of life. I can structure my time any way I wish, a blessing of not having to go "out" to work. Since losing my free-lance work with The Quilter because the magazine declared bankruptcy, I have taken time off from writing. I am, however, reading, the latest book a gift of a dear friend, is called The Telling Room. I love the author's style of writing. He is very descriptive and the book drew me in from the first page.

I count my blessings via friends I have made and creative activities in which I engage every day. I hope you are enjoying the autumn as much as we are. Frequent trips to the nearby orchard help to fill our days with happiness. There is nothing like a freshly-picked McIntosh apple.

My writings may be sporadic but I am still here and will post when something exceptional is worth drawing your attention. Stay tuned. Be happy!

Patricia Cummings