There is a place where magic is real....

I know Walt Disney thinks that sentence belongs to him, and refers to DisneyLand and DisneyWorld. As a child, magic was hidden in plain sight in a box of new crayons.*VBS* Even at age 66, it's exciting to put a new box of Crayola Crayons in my shopping cart. They come in many box sizes, these days. 100 crayon deluxe packs, and the huge almost unobtainable 96 crayons in unimagined colores, a nice hefty but quite reasonable 48, and my personal favorite, 24. Of course as a very young child, we only got the 8 pack. Just the basics, but filled with possibilities.

I was a lucky child, for even tho there was little money to spare in our household, new crayons and maybe a color book were fairly readily gotten. I had paperdolls and comic books, jacks and jump ropes and pick up sticks. That was pretty much the extend of easily gotten goodies. Birthdays or Christmas often provided me with a new holster and six shooter, or a new cowgirl hat. Needless to say, I was a tomboy, riding about the neighborhood on my imaginary horse...much to my mother's embarassment(largely due to my "sound effects").
Crayons and such were for hot summer afternoons in those early years of Polio. Children were kept inside, well shaded and cool in the deep heat of summer afternoon. Whether I had a coloring book or a pad of paper, I was happy. I spent long, long hours coloring things as I felt they should be colored, or imagined they might be..*VBS*
Altho there are many, many childhood pictures of me, I have come across none of me while I was lost in my coloring. And it's a pity. It would have much more to say about the child, than the posed pictures . I like to color sitting in a chair, mostly, and with my head resting on my left arm as I watched my right hand creating new magic daily with color crayons.

Of course, I outgrew the jacks and jump ropes, the paperdolls,and coloring books. As the grades of school grew in number, I was exposed to "ART" and the many supplies that are available to use in creating. Crayons lost their luster, replaced by artist pastel chalks, pen and ink, and eventually oil paints. Our schools offered little in the way of art back then, but whatever was offered, I was there to take part . I pursued it in college, and beyond.....no crayons in my life any more. It never occurred to me how much joy a simple thing can bring.
At 27 I became a mom, and by 30, there were crayons in my life again. They stayed a part of my life for the next 15 years. By that time all of the children were through elementary and busy with what teenagers do... and the crayons languished in the a large decorative cannister, ready for use, but neglected. Eventually the cannister became a door stop, crayons still tucked inside. With grandchildren, you'd think I could press those crayons into use again, but as fate would have it,none of my DGC live close enough to visit regularily. I eventually gave away the tin of crayons and put one new 24 count box in the cupboard, just in case.To Be Continued...............

Jean and The Feed Sack....

my friend Jean has just found her first feed sack! She's as excited as if she won the lottery...well, ok, almost as excited...*VBS* It's not a feed sack I would be thrilled with, but I have a lot of feed sacks and vintage fabric. She's new to this passion. Hers is a white one, stamped with the logo and information from some peanut product company. Suddenly she's truly emersed in what feed sacks are all about. So I've been rounding up some articles that will help her. The first picture is of a book specifically about quilts make during the Great Depression and the role that feedsacks(also flour, sugar and salt sacks) played in those quilts. It's a nice book, but if I had not received it as a gift, I would NOT have bought it. The second picture is of one of the string quilts shown in the book. I rather like it and thought you might too. It's 72" X 86", pieced by Georgia Sutherland Swanner in early 1940 in TN.

This picture is labeled "String" quilt, but as you can see, it falls into the 'crumbs' catagory more than strings. It's 64" X 75" and from Cumberland Co, TN in the 1930's.
I had one more picture here when I started, LOL, but I guess Blogger is saving that one for another post.
Someone asked about Ebby yesterday, she is doing well. I'll post a new picture of her soon, and tell you of our progress....just when I had almost given up on her....finally, some progress!! Color me tickled pink!

In another time and another place...

this quilt pleased me. A simple, but useful approach to my scraps, adding sawtooth star points to previously made 9 patches. Some wild lattice and I was good to go. That was then. These days I just want it to go away and leave me alone...LOL I started quilting it sometime ago..moment of weakness, I think. I do tend to get bitten by these STRANGE bugs sometimes..*VBG* This is the one
I'm plugging away on these days. The quilting is very, very minimal, as I am using a # 5 perle cotton(the blue) and it's hard to pull through. I have one of those little circle grippers that I have to use each needleful. I've quilted a long, continous line down the centers, across the lattice and all. Then I'm doing a "box" that connects the upper square and points to the row above or below. The box extends between each two block pairs. Hard to explain, but easy to do, and plenty to hold a cotton batt in place.

I'll be very happy to see the end of this one.
On another quilty note...do you gals know about Hamilton Books? It's an online clearance house with books in almost every category. Right now there are 157 quilting books to choose from. I checked this a.m. to see if by any chance the Small Endearments book might be there, but it isn't. They do have the Civil War Diary book tho, and lots of others. Check it out at http://www.hamiltonbook.com/hamiltonbook.storefront The books are all new, some are a bit shopworn, but it tells you that along with the description. AND...the shipping is very reasonable. One book is $3.50, but I have 6 books coming and the shipping is $5.90..really amazing. Go over to the left sidebar and scroll down to Needlecrafts. Click on that and it will list knitting, rug hooking, embroidery and of course, Quilting books. I have NO affiliation to them, just a happy customer!! I think I heard about it from Quilt Pixie. I was able to get my Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran book there, for $15.99 before it even hit the bookstores.
As for getting the Small Endearments, you Prim quilters really should check out Dawn copy(coming used from Amazon) the first half of the book is all primative applique quilts for children...lots and lots...I think Dawn will be happy...*VBS* I got mine in a Book Clearing House Store for $7- about 10-12 years ago. You might find it online SweetPea, other than Amazon, but I think you'll really have to scout it out.

Then and now....

and what a difference a few days makes! Earlier last week I showed you this first picture. The second and third pictures are what has been added to the landscape...LOL This is one days snowfall....10 inches. Note the lovely overhanging snow lip ready to slide off my neighbors house...*S*. We had very strong winds from the south and east, and have some good snowdrifts.
The piles of snow that you see, are the work of the snow plow drivers effort. He was here about 2.5 hours yesterday a.m., plowing the 16 driveways in our little complex. They also individually shovel our walks and sprinkle salt.

This third picture is pretty much the same view as the November days looking picture. Difference is my car is in the garage, and that's a PILE of snow blocking the view south. The little darkness on the right is my garbage can, and further down, the dark spot is a car..LOL. We have some two car families here, but only one car garages. I got some quilting, some sewing, and some crocheting done over the weekend, and didn't step a single step outside...which was fine with me!!

A Wild and Windy day...

and I have spent most of it quilting, in the front room,and watching movies on the Hallmark channel. They had a Sarah, Plain and Tall marathon this afternoon. It's a group of movies I really enjoy, with Glenn Close playing Sarah.
It's been quite a while since I've done much quilting, and it felt good to be running the lines of stitches again. If I make enough progress, I'll show you, soon. I thought I was done showing pictures from the Small Endearments book, but I came across this one. And since I've been knee deep in the broken dishes lately, this lay out really appealed to me. It's a child's quilt, from the last quarter of the nineteenth century, and is 34" X 34". I took the time

to zoom in on the center setting and enlarge it. Click on the picture for a better view(I hope). The piecing of the rest is pretty straight forward.For the center,it looks like you would cut HSTs to match the size of a 4 dishe row, and add those to the 4 outer corners. The 4 smaller triangles would be cut as setting triangles from one square. I'm not sure why they used the large red center square, probably personal preferance. I think scrappy broken dishes, set with a nice rusty red plaid would be great! I'm saving this one for future referance.
We got the blast of the storm that hit the West coast on Thursday. Not alot of snow, but super strong winds and white out conditions. It's cold enough that the snow is dry and really blows around. I've battened down the hatches, and hunkered down with a pot of homemade soup and time to quilt. Hope you are all safe, happy and content tonight. (saturday evening post(LOL), and Blogger wasn't having any of THAT!) So here it is this morning...snow total, Twin Cities, 13.5" so far. I find myself thinking of Mary, from the Heartstrings project, spending her first winter in Mpls...*S* Welcome to the midwest winters Mary!

One more quilt...

that I haven't shown you. I did use it in a staged picture of my vintage boxes last year. Here is how it came to be...*VBS* As a new resident of a small town, I was invited to stitch with a group of older ladies. At one of the very first gathering, my hostess gave me a box of hexagons that were already cut in this size, 2" (unfinished). She had 6 hexs for each flower matched up with centers but no piecing done. Over the next meetings I hand pieced 20 flowers, but since I was in the process of my big hexagon Honeycomb quilt, I didn't really want to add diamonds or setting hexs to these flowers. So I laid them aside. Four years later, at another new job location, I was desperate for something to work on over the Christmas holiday period when the kids were all home. I cut out twenty squares of bleached muslin and appliqued the flowers on to the squares. When that was done, I joined up the blocks, and used a nice piece of 36" lavender(also from Irene), basted the top and began quilting. I generally use Mountain Mist batting, for the look I wanted, I used MM Light...a very thin batt. The quilt is about 36" X 45". The cross hatching is at 1". I had tried 2" but found it was too much space between the lines. The flower fabrics are the "real deal", fabrics from when Irene was a bride, back in the 1920's. She had always intended to make the quilt, but the babies started coming along and she never got around to doing it. I treasure this little "pass along" quilt and some pieces of her fabric stash that came to me after her death. She had left instructions for her fabric to be divided up amongst her stitching group..*VBS*

A November kind of morning....

and I'm not quite sure how to feel about that. One thing I am certain of is that it's been a really crazy, mixed up year since the autumnal equinox. I suppose I could say winter solstice, but it's been goofy longer than that. I do find true beauty in this picture, and altho I don't have grand vistas living here, I enjoy
the views I do have. This one is looking SE from my little patio.I espcially like those trees starkness, against the sky. It sounds like we are under a winter storm watch for the upcoming weekend, and Darcie in ND let me know that wind is coming...LOL. Some of these days I expect I'll see her blowing past my window, heading east...*S*
I have enjoyed all your comments so much lately, as you think about piecing for pleasure, dolly quilts and memories of learning from family members..*VBS*
I have been making new memoies(as always) this week. I had lunch with old friends yesterday, and promised two doll quilts made from reproduction fabrics for my friends granddaughters. They will be "just right" for Easter giving. I have many of those Cracker blocks made,and I can whip up two in
no time. Last evening DD#1, my Princess, came and brought dinner for us. We dined on steak and salad, with chocolate elcairs for dessert. We brainstormed over an offer I had recieved for an 8 day tour of Tuscany, looked for affordable airfare, and had a good visit. I AM toying with going to Tuscany in Oct. I just hate the 'single occupancy' part of it. I showed her my Delectable Mountains quilt top, which is going off for machine quilting soon. She jumped right up and put on her "ready to receive it" hat...she thinks ALL the quilts I make are for her...LOL
This second pic is of a doll quilt I received as a gift from an old, old friend in the early 1990's. We both love the quilts in the Living With Little Quilts book, and she whipped upand hand quilted, two of them. She used scraps from me and some of hers. It will enlarge with a double click and you can check out the fabrics. She has made most of the quilts featured in the Little Quilts books. I have made 4 or 5, I think. Time to drag those books out again, and have a look at all those great quilts.

Piecing for pleasure.....

how easily that one phrase put my quilt making into perspective. I think when you are a beginning quilter, you want to do it all, and you want to do it right. I have found that over time, I've lost the "want to do it all", but for a long time, the "do it right" hung around. I finally managed to ditch that idea several years ago. I now do "it" anyway that appeals to me or suits my needs. I play alot more than I work, and I have a very, very difficult time making a quilt to someone's desire or specifications. My friend Jean is finding out lately, just how hard it is to "take orders" for a thing and make it to what's in someone elses head. It does seem to remove the joy, in my opinion. You can piece for money, or for recognition. Up to a point, you can piece to match the baby's room, or someone's color scheme. You can piece to get the scraps used or the stash reduced, or charity needs met. What I really hope you are doing is piecing for pleasure...*VBS* Cause it's the best feeling!! First picture is of yet another pile of HST's becoming a dolly quilt. Very elderly HST's at that...LOL. The only cutting I did on this one was the backing. Borders were
in the strip bins. I test drove it past Jean's DGS on Sunday, at lunch, and I have his 3 yr old approval..*VBS* Off to the daycare it goes, along with the others. Total so far: 5
This second picture is one lonely pinwheel block left from a guild challenge. I had it and a stack of already cut triangles of the same size, but no more of that white background....what to do? what to do? A UFO in a bag marked enough for 6 more. What could you do with 7 pinwheels anyway, except a row quilt? Well, I decided I didn't really need another row for a row quilt, and since these are X cut, I could join them at their sides and have a staight of the grain at the outside. As you can see, 3 fit together perfectly, and now I just need setting corners. I can cut them from the blue floral(challenge fabric) or the solid colors. I haven't decided. With those added, it could be the front of a tote bag, or with a few more additions, it could become another dolly quilt...*G* Best of all, it's ONE MORE UFO GONE!!!! Grand total of UFO's used or finished: 6 and it's still February...*VBS*

One last quilt...

from the Small Endearments book. This crib quilt is from Maine, and was pieced in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. It is 39" X 41". I like to tell you what size it is to give you an idea of what size the blocks might be. This one runs a close second to the string quilt I showed on Friday one of my favorites..*VBS*
I found it very interesting that both of my favorites(and a few others *G*) are in the Chapter called "Pieced for Pleasure". If you a regular reader of my blog, you totally understand why that chapter title would both appeal to and please me. Lining up on the other side of the quilt frame, across from the carefully pieced and mostly appliqued quilts of the early 19th century, the "pieced for pleasure" quilts stand tall. Manufactured fabric was becoming more readily available, as were patterns for specific blocks. Perhaps the maker of this quilt tried her hand at a new york beauty(or whatever) testing curved piecing but only made one or two blocks. Those charming orphans fit perfectly in a childs quilt.
Those quilters were aware of the "waste not, want not" commandment. And if you happen to be a quilt history fanatic, you probably know that those quilters used to pull the basting thread out in one long piece and wrap it around an envelope or spool and re-use it to baste another quilt. So many of my quilting friends laugh at that, but you either had to MAKE your tread, or buy it, and cash was in short supply. There is a referance in the Small Enchantments book about "unraveling a thread from the canvas cover" on the wagon, as that quilter moved west. She used those single threads to piece from her small bag of scraps, as she rode along the westward trail.
I've never suggest that any of us go to that kind of lengths. But it's good to be aware of the footprints you walk in, as you make YOUR quilts. Would we have the quilting tradition, here in America, if those brave ladies hadn't yearned to express themselves with the materials at hand? I don't think so. Wealth made it possible for the plantation owners to have exactly what they saw as beautiful and a possession. And they had the slave labor to get that accomplished. But thank goodness, the women slaves also had a need for self expression, and a real need for bed covers to keep their families warm. To me, that is the true spirit of scrap quilts and the quilting heritage I treasure.

Strings and things picture.....

I love this little quilt! It's 27" X 39", small for a baby quilt, but maybe it was for a cradle. It is a Mennonite quilt from the 4th quarter of the nineteenth century. It appears to be pieced in rectangles and then borders added. It's survived a long time. The second quilt on that same page is Mennonite also, same time period, is 41" X 54". Both quilts are from Pennsylvania. It seems to be a "crumbs" block, pieced as squares.


Yesterday was a busy day again. I had seen my optho(dear dr) for a routine checkup(again) and now have the lovely prospect of another trip to the Twin Cities to see the retina specialist(again). I haven't been there for quite a few years, but something is going on in that particular eye. Time to have the surgeon look at it again...darn.
I'm sure NOT thrilled to have this additional thing to do. But this a.m. I decided to lay it aside, and do some fun sewing. I not only paired up more Cracker blocks for another doll quilt, I grabbed a stack of HST's left over from the Trianglemania quilt, and whipped up a little quilt, without even sizing them...LOL. It felt great!! It's not quite as wild as the HST quilt in yesterday's post, but it'll do for now. Borders will be added to both, hopefully this afternoon.

The ticking of the clock.....

connects our life, like a dot to dot picture, as we move from minute to minute. The minutes become hours, the hours turn into days, days into months, and then years. So many of us are very fond of the quilts from days gone by. This is one of my favorite "picture" books...a quilters version of the wish books of old, catalogs. The author, Sandi Fox is an authority on the subject of baby and doll quilts. The book was published in 1985, and again in 1994. There are just over 200 pages, and it's a great, great read. Crib and childrens quilts consume the first 184 pages, then we get to dolly quilts *VBS*.
I've only made a few dolly quilts in my life, and am ashamed to say, my oldest DD only had one, made from scraps of her flannel nighties. I have made lots and lots of 'small' quilts ala Gwen Marston and the Little Quilt people..I have made NO minature quilts. I have been quite excited and turned on by making the dolly quilts for Josh's daycare. It's soooo liberating to just do what you want, no extra measuring or cutting. Just sewing and creating what will be loved but NOT judged. This next page, of pictures from the book,

are dolly quilts. You can see they used what was on hand, and probably did little or no piecing to get a small quilt. I love the coins and the HST's..*VBS*
And I see that Blogger has just dropped off the third picture that was here when I started...LOL. It's a page of baby quilts that I think we string block piecers need to see, so I'll post it tomorrow.

I'm thrilled that so many of you have dug into your scrap bag of memories and come up with button jars, embroidery bags, little scissors, and both Grandmas and Moms who taught you to piece, sew or embroider. Neither of my 2 daughters were (or are) the least bit interested in sewing of any sort. They both know how to cross stitch and sew on a button, but couldn't hem a pair of pants or skirt...LOL. I had hoped for a granddaughter to teach, but that hasn't happened either. Not sure I have many more chances unless one of the grandsons wants to learn..*G*. Youngest son might decide to re-marry and might have a girl to go with his two boys, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. Maybe if I weren't so shy, I'd offter to teach some of the local little girls, but so far I haven't. It's something to think about. Hope you are all having a good day after Valentine's, with sunshine on your shoulders and scraps in your basket. Now get busy and whip up a dolly quilt for someone...*VBS*

Piecing from the leftovers.......

I can claim TWO more 'finishes' from the pile of UFO's in my closet!! *VBS* And I'm thrilled about that...the brights dolly quilt on the left has been just a top for more years than I can remember. I had pieced a snowball crib quilt for a grandma-to-be, and those were the leftover triangles and scraps. Now it's ready for some play time loving..*S* The one below I just put together on Monday, from a pile of Cracker blocks that I had laying around. I am pleased with the way it turned out, and have enough Cracker blocks pieced to make one or two more this same size.
I was feeling very adventure-some on Monday, and deliberately pulled 4 of the 2" strips that didn't match. I suspect there will a comment of some sort from the Daddy Daycare Daddy, who looks at things pretty conventionally, despite his own unconventional occupation...LOL. That's fine with me!!!! Just wonder away Josh....LOL.

I did the same pillowcase turn with flannel backing on both of these, and an in the ditch machine quilting.

I've been thinking about the possibility of selling some of these dolly quilts and also beginning to get rid of my vintage fabric and tickings. I wonder if one of you with an Etsy account or Flickr, could tell me something about how that works? I'd appreciate an email..*S*

I had no doll quilts growing up..strange as that seems. I had lots and lots of dolls, but no additional doll clothes or blankets for them. As far as I know, neither my mother nor her mother(my beloved Gram Lottie) sewed. My dad patched his own overalls, and beyond that, I don't think anything got mended or buttons added. I've found out in later years that my dad's mother sewed and quilted. I taught myself to sew, and Dad got me a sewing machine the summer I was 15. I went on to teach myself how to knit,crochet, embroider and many other things. I taught my Mom to embroider, altho she had as a young bride. I have a tea table cloth she embroidered back in the 1930's.
What I am getting to is that I grew up without the joys of Grandma's button box or jar. It would have endlessly facinated me, as it does now. Where they all came from, so much variety and possibilities. Maybe Gram Smith had one, I really don't know. I've never seen any of her quilts, and only a few of Aunt Lucille's. If I couldn't have the quilts, I'd sure love to have pictures, but those don't seem to exist either. Sometimes, that's just the way it is...*S*

The Children's Hour....

from an old poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, I believe. I had to memorize it back in 5th or 6th grade, and it has stuck with me..."There's an hour between the dark and the daylight that's known as the children's hour"."I hear in the chamber above me, the patter of little feet, a door that is softly opened and

voices, soft and sweet". Do you remember this poem from so long ago. For whatever reason, during my grade school years we read and memorized several of Stevenson's poems. The one about the sick child and land of the counterpane(quilt), about going up in the swing, and the one about the little bubbling stream, something about the gentle flowing waters soft and brown.

I'm not sure schools still teach poetry as they use to, which is sad(if they don't). We were given the opportunity to fall in love with words, the flow, the music, the magic and the power they have if we know them and how to use them.

I have a dolly quilt just about finished, but friend Jean keep me shopping til nearly 10 last night(very late for me). And in about 10 minutes I'm off to the local nursing home to help with a pancake breakfast for the higher functioning residents who can come to the small dining room and eat without assistance. All I get to do is pour coffee and juice, and pass more pancakes or sausages, or pour syrup..*VBS*. But Jean does this solo and fries the pancakes up fresh while they are eating, so it's very much like home for the residents. It's a BIG job to cook for and serve the 11 or 12 that are able to attend. I love helping. I'm not an official "volunteer", but I'm considering it..*VBS* I'll be back later with another dubious finish...*G* Looking forward to seeing some of you post about things from days gone by, and hearing your memories.

Another dubious finish...

I jumped from the pile of 3 doll quilt tops that needing finishing to a bag with 8 of these frog blocks....LOL. Gotta have at least ONE boy oriented doll quilt in case a bear or truck needs wrapping. This one is all flannel, and small but

snuggles nicely.
I'm scratching my head today trying to remember what sidetracked me yesterday after I sewed this one together. Darned if I can remember..*VBS* Oh well....I'm back to working on remaining two quilt tops today. Little Emily tearfully told Grandma Jean of the need for dolly quilts(blankets) and when Jean asked how many they needed she said "five"....LOL She's turning 3 next week but holding up 3 fingers is still hard, while 5 works very well. I can obligue them with 4 for sure, and then we'll see what else I have laying around this weekend. Must some orphans(like the frog blocks) that I can whip up.

It's soooo wonderful to hear of small girls actually playing with dolls and wanting clothes and blankets(quilts) for them, that I'm so happy to help fulfill that need. I've made clothes for Granddaughter Alisen's Amerian Girl doll, and did provide a cradle, infant doll and small quilt when my oldest son was adding baby#2. Nick(#1) just about 18 months and didn'tget it about a new rival. Hopefully his own "baby", cradle and quilt helps alittle.

Molasses....that weird subject I wandered of to Thursday. I think one of the main reasons most homes had it was to make baked beans. People really did make baked(in the oven with salt pork or ham or bacon) REAL baked beans as far back as the late 1950's when I was dating DH. And of course, depending on your reason, you used it on your cornbread(Vicky) or for molasses cookies, molasses crinkles, gingerbread, the German christmas cookie that I can't spell but starts Ph(pronounced f) People used to grow their own Navy beans(lots and lots in Michigan), and if you didn't grow them, you could buy a large bag(50 or 100 #'s) quite cheaply. I know beans were a staple for the cowboy ranch hands on cattle drives. Easy to transport dry, and could be cooked up each day over a camp fire.

I think the art of making brown bread(baked in a round tin, like coffee or shortening used to come in) and New England Baked beans is getting to be harder to find. Even on menus you most often get canned baked beans these days.

Baked beans by the roaster full were a staple of church suppers and funerals. I even like them in the summer, with a hot dog or hamburger at a cookout. Potato salad, chips, veggies and you're all set til it's time for pie or watermelon.

Real, good homemade baked beans are just the best!!! And not possible without molasses....*VBS* Not that I hold stock or anything like that. The label used to have a picture of a woman in an apron on it, but the name eludes me...does anyone remember that???The name?

A Dubious Finish....

but as slow as I am moving, I'm going to take any 'finish' I can get!!!! The picture is one I snapped this a.m. just after finishing up this doll quilt. I did a quick pillowcase turn and ran a few lines of machine quilting....done!
My very dear friend Jean's oldest son runs a daycare in his home. He worked quite a few years(using his Early Childhood Development degree) to teach and then to work in a daycare. This past Sept. he opened his own daycare in his home. Besides his two youngsters he has 4 children each day. They range in age from under a year to a 5 year old. His daughter Emily will turn 3 next week, and she is the lucky recipient of a baby doll and dolly quilt from Grandma Jean. And that's where the trouble began. Seems there are FOUR little girls in the day care, and they ALL think they should be wrapping THEIR dolly in that one quilt...LOL. I whipped up a quick flannel one in Dec. for little brother Brody, and even tho he has little interest in wrapping dolls, his quilt gets pressed into service also.
While digging in my endless supple of UFO's I came across 3 all ready finished doll quilt tops. So I'm adding a quick flannel backing and doing that quick turn and stitch. I was able to give one to Jean this noon, and will have at least 2 more for her by tomorrow when we meet for dinner after work.
As I said, it's a dubious finish, but I'll take it and check one UFO off my list..*VBG*
And thanks to all who shared thoughts and memories about molasses...it's fun to have more information, and a better understanding of things from the past besides quilts.
I challenge you to blog about something from days gone by....like peanut butter coming in 5 pound tin pails.... something that has changed completely...there is so much we can learn from each other. Did you catch in the comments that someone from across the BIG POND had it in the pantry in a tin? Vs. a jar..*VBS*

Slower than molasses.....

that would be me, these days. I seem to be moving about the same speed as that old dependable sweetener of days gone by. I suspect most young people today haven't a clue what an important role that dark, pungent liquid played in the

diets of their ancestors. By the time I was growing up in the early 1940's, molasses was all but forgotten in my part of the world. But then, I was a city kid, maybe it still had it's place in rural America. I know that molasses was one of the commodities given out each month to the WPA workers. Between 1935 and 1940, my Dad worked WPA. He was one of the ones who planted miles and miles of pine trees along the roadsides running south to north, in WC Wisconsin. I have a recipe for molasses cookies(which are much like a molasses biscuit or shortbread) that my Mom received with the WPA molasses, way back then. I know they also got lard, bulgar(a dried wheat product) and coffee I think. Not sure what else. Molasses is made from sugar cane, and is the product prior to refining it. Eventually you get white sugar. I don't think WI raises sugar cane, but they do grow tons and tons of sugar beets over in the central part of the state.

Anyway....I'm way off track today, LOL, what I am is slower than molasses at getting enough blocks for my broken dishes pattern.*VBS*. I now have about 90+ of the hour glass blocks, but I need well over a hundred. So I've been cutting scrap into 6" squares, splitting and sewing, and splitting and sewing again. I've been having fun with it, and am getting some laundry done while I stitch. We are cold, cold, cold again today. But only a - 6 this morning...could be worse...*G*

Ebby buries her nose under her curled tail, and snoozes anywhere that feels warm. I wear an extra tshirt under my sweatshirt, and my warmest sweatpants. A good day for black bean soup I think, for lunch. A bit more sewing and a bit of cleaning, and a trip to town for milk and fruit.

Tonight is the first episode of the newest Survivor..*VBG* I'm a confirmed, dyed in the wool, long time Survivor fan. I've watched every season, liking some more than others, but only missing an occasional episode. I've always been there for the final tribal council..*S* They are in Fiji this time, and since the chance are very slim that I will EVER be in Fiji, or Guam, or the Canary Islands, or Guatamala, I'll keep watching as long as they make it exciting. If for no other reason than the scenery...*VBS*. It's good to have things to look forward to...besides spring..*G*

The hours....

slip by, lost in the steady tick tock of my clock as time passes. Eventually you have lived long enough, that what 'was' fills more space in your mind, than what 'is'. The picture was taken the year I graduated, 1958. I don't think it had anything to do with my graduation, there was no party or family celebration back then. I received cards and gifts from friends, but it wasn't a big deal as it is made to be these days.

The lady on the left is Aunt Lucille, the one who got me started quilting. She is my Dad's oldest sister and at 98, still lives in Kansas City, MO. The man is my Dad's oldest brother, Darwin. He could have been a favorite of mine, but he teased and tormented us so endlessly we, we loathed him. His wife, my Auntie Florence is on the right. A sweet and gentle spirit, not quite as quick witted as most members of the Smith family. I think she suffered fools quietly, or else just didn't 'get it'. She was a great favorite of mine, always happy to see me and had cookies and homemade bread for the asking. I spent alot of time at her house, playing with my cousin Sharon, who was from Feb. to Oct older than me. She also was deaf mute, but we managed quite well, even before sign language. Sharon was the only girl with 3 brothers. I had two sisters. Sharon, the dark haired one, me the windblown blond, couldn't have looked more different from each other than we did. I was tall and leggy, a skinny kid, Sharon was short, compact and never skinny or ackward. We were as close as can be until it was time for her to go to Delavan, WI's School for the Deaf, her high school years. Somehow we grew apart at that point, and I saw little of her anymore. I was at her wedding, the summer I graduated. She married a deaf boy from the Milwaukee area and went on to have 3 daughters, all hearing. I married a year later, and she was at my wedding. I only saw her once or twice over the next number of years, and one last time at her Mom's funeral in the early 1990's.

It's funny how you can spend so much of your life in conjunction with someone, and then move on to the next stage, having little to no contact with them. It seems to be the way it is, or maybe not. If there is a base for you to connect to, or stay connected with, maybe you do. Or maybe if you stay in the area where you grew up, it makes things more likely to continue. Or maybe it's just me. I don't have the answer, I only have the questions. I seem to be in a pattern, these past months, of "sorting" out my life, like I do my fabric. Some to use right now, some to save for later, some to discard, or pass along to someone else. And a large pile to wonder about...*VBS*

The witching hour is fast approaching and my bed is pre-warmed by an early turn on of the EB....Ebony has taken up her favorite spot at the foot of the bed, and it's time for me to join her. I leave you to ponder all things past, if you've a mind to, and if not, think about this little ditty..*G*

"I gave my soup, I gave my bread, I gave my heart....I kept my head".

Heart's Ease....

and a sunny day in Finn-y Town. Ebby takes advantage of every little bit that we get on these dark short days of winter. My home faces east, so there is only morning sun. I was sitting at the dining room table, writing bills yesterday, and when I glanced over, this is what I saw...*VBS* I had to snap the picture.
She was watching for birds and spooky snow shoveling people. She is mostly in the shadow, but the ears tell the story. When I look back a few minutes later, I found this instead.....LOL Apparently sleeping on the job is ok in her profession. She looks so cute with her belly as support for the rest of her...rather like she's 'expecting' and is resting on her treasure...*VBG* I have to say she has quite a belly(that's what we are both working on this winter) but it's NOT that big!!! I've been sewing this snowy Tuesday morning...zipping my way through the triangle pairs for more broken dishes(hourglass blocks). I'm hoping to have enough to finish up that top....maybe today.

Once more...A gathering of friends

and even though I don't know any of their names, they are my sisters..*VBS* This post card was received back in 1992. It's a picture that was taken of a quilting party at Pendroy, McHenry County, North Dakota(date unknown) from the State Historical Society of North Dakota Collection. I wondered, when I looked at it, what were those white "pole"or rope looking things at the two corners. Then I realized they were ropes. This is a clamped frame that is lowered from the ceiling. My Grandma Smith has one of these. I never got to see it, as she was no longer quilting by the time I was around. Or maybe she just quilted in the winter, and I only saw her in the summer.
My dad's sister Lucille, who taught me to piece and quilt told me stories of that quilt frame and being under it as a young girl. Later she was recuited to thread needles for the quilters. Not much quilting of this kind gets done today, but sure does look like fun. Gathering with friends for a day of food, fun, and friendship. So may secrets were told around the quilt frame, and so many problems aired and solved. Tears shed and heartache shared. I think in a way we blogging quilters have come together also, it may only be virtual hug, but my heart listens and understands who you are and shares in your joys and sorrows.

YOU...are my gathering of friends....*VBS*

and I'm not sorry about that...*VBS*, but sorry about that post. Actually I think that Blogger owes us an apology..there really was a picture from a North Dakota quilting bee and a whole post to read, but I hit "publish"(as usual) and it asked me if I wanted to move from that page without saving(which I didn't understand at all) and I clicked yes, and my post disappeared except for the time stamp and title!!! Of course I have JUST made the switch over to the new blogger and that might be part of it, or maybe I violated some publishing thingy by using a scan of a post card..I'm just not sure. I'll try posting a new picture today and see what happens. Til then, at least you have my explaination..*G*

A Gathering of Friends............

Elderly Orphans revisited.........

While cleaning my sewing room, I came across this ancient endeaver. Way back when...before the Orphan Train quilt or the Y Not? quilt, I expermented with putting together odd, extra and abandoned blocks. I didn't have as many then as I have now. And it made sense to me to add strips til I got them to a uniform size..12 1/2" at that time. It was a pretty ugly top then and still is, in my view. I gave it away back in the late 1980's to a church group who sewed for the African Missions. Imagine my surprise when my friend Jean showed this very top to me a couple of years ago...LOL. Yes, it was too ugly even for the missionary ladies. To ugly to use, even for backing...LOL BUT...too good to cut up or seperate. As you can see, Ebby is not disturbed at all by weirdness. There are 3" bow tie blocks, 4 and 9
patches, a few Jacob's Ladder blocks, an appliqued heart, some random HST blocks, some blocks just made up of strips, and who knows what all! I finished it off at 72" X 90" by putting a border made of 2" strips around the edges. Probably the strangest part of this whole story is that it left in about the mid 1990's and came back to me in 2001. I'm still at odds as to what to do with it, but I'm leaning towards adding another border and maybe machine quilting it, or just maybe tieing it with yarn or perle cotton. AND if that's not weird enough for you....this past weekend, my friend Jean was down home for her Dad's birthday, and her mom(one of the

mission ladies) gave Jean's boxes and boxes of fabric. All of which I had donated to their group back about 1996. LOL..I knew I gave them alot, but my goodness!! It's alot of FQ's and half yard pieces from when I ended my shop. Jean's getting ready to wash it up, and some will go into her rugs and some into mine. Talk about life coming full circle.