Mother Goose

Mother Goose

 Little piggy actually broke up a suffrage meeting in Connecticut back in 1911!

Stay safe and healthy!

Suffrage Centennial Quilt and more

Libby S. from Tennessee made this wonderful tribute for the Suffrage Centennial Quilt Challenge!  

Not only does Libby live in the state that gave us the ratification of the 19th Amendment but Libby herself is a distant relative of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, one of the founders of the suffrage movement.  She told me in an email last week that many people in the family carry the Cady name even through to today; Libby's granddaughter has Cady as her middle name.  How cool is that?

Libby writes:

STORY BEHIND THE QUILT – Perfect 36 by Libby S

When Tennessee legislators were called back to a special session in August 1920 to vote on ratification of the 19 ^th amendment, they were greeted by suffragists wearing yellow roses, and opponents wearing red roses.  Thus the “War of the Roses” began.  By a single vote, Tennessee became the required 36 ^th state to ratify.  Supporters referred to Tennessee as The Perfect 36.  This quilt has 36 yellow rosebuds surrounding the state. 

 It was a last minute decision on the part of the single vote of young Harry Burns (he was only 24 at the time!) and his dilemma is illustrated in the movie, Iron Jawed Angels and featured in the book, The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight To Win The Vote.  Beth's favorite part of the story is that it was a letter from Harry's mother that actually swayed his vote :)

Thanks Libby, this was a great lesson for today!

Tomorrow we will resume with Mother Goose...

Stay safe and healthy!

Sharing projects and some suffrage humor

Diann is a regular reader of this blog and shared this photo of the quilt she has been working on.  We all need some sunshine right now and this quilt makes me smile every time I see it!  Diann blogs on Little Penguin Quilts and you can go here if you want to see more of her work!  I believe this quilt was part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge that many bloggers participate in.  The quilt is a welcome ray of sunshine during these dark times.

This week I'm not going to post anything heavy on the blog.  I thought I would feature a little book published in 1912 called Mother Goose As a Suffragette.  As it states in the beginning of the book:

Some of you may remember my Jack and Jill post from October which featured a verse from this book that was syndicated in newspapers.  

If you haven't started a quilt for the Suffrage Centennial Quilt Challenge, these posts may give you some inspiration.  There are lots of free online embroidery patterns of nursery rhymes that you could embroider or use a pigma pen to draw on a piece of muslin.  You could even color the piece with markers or crayon if you like.

Some humor on Antis:

And if you like dogs, you could always feature a dog on your quilt:

Stay safe and healthy!

Suffrage Centenial Quilts: Lelane H.

I love this piece because it gave me an opportunity to learn!  Thank you!  Lelane writes:

Gender equality is one of the Shaker tenets but Shakers usually kept their actions within their communities. 

Catherine Allen (1852-1922) was more active in both peace causes and equal suffrage outside her community at Mount Lebanon , New York. As a child she was sent to board with the North Family at Mount Lebanon in 1865. She stayed with the community and in 1908 she became an Eldress of the Central Ministry.

  As a Shaker leader she was an active women's suffrage proponent.  She spoke at conferences and led petitions urging women's suffrage.

  The production of Shaker "Dorothy" cloaks became a profitable business venture from 1890 to the 1930s. Mrs. Grover Cleveland wore one to President Cleveland's second inauguration in 1893. The cloaks were wool lined in satin with a satin ribbon at the neck.

  I chose to quilt a cloak as a representation of a Shaker I admire.

I loved the background fabric and asked Lelane about it.  She said that she a quilt study group had dated the fabric in the 1940s or 50s and the fabric was quite heavy (perhaps decorative fabric).  It's a wonderful piece!  Well done Lelane

Suffrage quilts from our readers: today Cass G.

I was going to wait to post photos of some of the suffrage quilts that people have been showing me in their emails but I think it best to begin to share them here.

Today we feature two quilts made by Cass G.  These quilts are being featured in Lebanon Township Museum which due to COVID-19 is closed.  

What I love about these quilts is that they are really unique.  I love the crazy quilt backgrounds, perfect for the time that Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton really rose to fame.  

Susan B. Anthony

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

These kinds of silhouettes were popular in the 19th and early 20th century.  Well done Cass!

What you are working on!

Beth is working on this right now!  Many of you know her because she does the By the Chimney No More program with me.  Isn't this quilt lovely?  She had texted me a photo of the masks she is making but for whatever I can't download those photos.  She writes:  

I am grateful to work remotely during this pandemic and the ability to sew during my lunch break is wonderful.  I have three projects in the work during this time of social distancing.  Chain piecing an Irish chain quilt.  Hand sewing the binding on a rail fence quilt .  And making covers for the N 95 masks so desperately needed for our dedicated health workers.  quilters and makers have always used our sewing as therapy during hard times and to support causes.  Let us all use this time to be productive, help where we can, and if you are in lock down with a friend or a family member now is a great time to teach them the art of sewing.  Stay safe, strong and stich on!

I also want to let you know that I have another blog that you may wish to explore called 3 poodles and a nana.  I've had that blog since my granddaughter was a toddler.  I'm sharing it with you in case you need some kind of diversion--there are lots of other quilt related blogs that show up on the main page on the Your Are my Sunshine list to the right of the blog.  Enjoy.

On Wednesday I'm going to post some photos of Suffrage Centennial quilts that you have been sending me.  Stay safe in the meantime and my prayers are with you all!