Silent Star Quilts!

This just in:  Silent Film Star Made Quilts!

Marion Davies was a silent film star.  Some of you may have heard that she had a long love affair with William Randolph Hearst.  Mostly I know of her because I've seen documentaries or features that explored the house  mansion Hearst had built for her:

Apparently it was a favorite location for parties with the Hollywood elite.  You can read about her life on Wikipedia so I won't go into that.

But did you know that Marion Davies Quilted?  I didn't either until I stumbled upon  this newspaper article:

The Movie Star had entered her quilts in the Los Angeles County Fair.  Her quilts were a big attraction to the fair and special security had to be installed to protect her work.  According to the article, all her quilts were made from taffeta.

This was the best I could do with the photographs.  The top one shows a Colonial Lady to the right.  The above photo shows a wedding scene in the center and to the right is a scenic quilt with Sunbonnets.

The quilts were shown in 1941.  The border on the wedding quilt has embroidered figures and I know that some of those are kewpies.  At the top and the bottom (upside down) in the center is this Kewpie:

I think this one is to the right of the center figure (at the top):

I can't make out the other images.  

I'm not sure about the corner images although they could be Kewpies hanging wash out on the line.  I'm just not sure.  What do you think?

The newspaper reported:  "Before beginning the actual workmanship, she (Davies) plans and designs the detail work and coloring of each quilt."

I wonder where these quilts are now.  I have no idea but it was fun to study the one photo I could find from the fair!

Wishing you a happy and safe day!

 

Flower Friday: July 9, 2021

 Happy Flower Friday!

Today's feature is Sue's Garden.  Look at these lovely flowers!!!

Her phlox is blooming a lot earlier than ours is!

Bee Balm

Coneflower

Double Coneflower!!

Have a safe and happy weekend!

Dinosaur Garden

 I've been having fun with the little boy across the street.  He was not speaking that much and would never say hi to me that much because he was shy.  He does however know sign language.  But things have changed somewhat in our relationship.

About a month ago, I told him I had dinosaur eggs in my garden and I was scared of them.  He bravely came over and collected the eggs and the dinosaurs in them for me!

Last week, I did something different.  His grandmother told me last summer that he loves tactile plants--particularly lamb's ears and cock's comb.  So I made him a little dino garden of his very own:

No dinosaur garden would be complete without some stickers:

He loved it!  Well he loved the dinos !!!

😁

What's going on in your neck of the woods?  Tomorrow is Flower Friday!  If you would like to share garden or flower images, please email me: allentownquilter@gmail.com

Have a safe and happy day!

Story Time Stiches: Multiplying like Peter Rabbit

 

In 1901, Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published.  Like Greenaway before her, Potter insisted that the books be published in a small form, easier for children to hold.  The books and her later works became incredibly popular and are still in print until today.

Beatrix Potter (1866-1943)

It is not surprising to find early redwork that featured the boy rabbit.  I have no idea if these were patterns or just renditions of the book:

Early 20th century quilt with possible Peter Rabbit.

Definitely a Peter Rabbit.

From an online sales site.  Possibly Flopsy, Mopsy, or Cottontail?

Potter was a great businesswoman and products like china, wallpaper and other items featured her adorable characters and made her a wealthy woman.  In later years, she would make the most substantial gift at that time to the National Trust--including 15 farms, 4,000 acres of land and the rights to her illustrations.

 Years after Potter's wonderful book on Peter was published, books about "Peter Rabbit" appeared through the first half of the twentieth century as if they were multiplying...like rabbits.  

The first book which featured "Peter Rabbit" was published by Thornton Burgess (see this post).  Burgess' original character was named Peter Cottontail but in one of his stories Peter became bored with his "common" name and decided to change it to Peter Rabbit.  

Burgess was quoted as stating, "I like to think that Miss Potter gave Peter a name known the world over, while I with Mr. Cady's (the illustrator) help perhaps made him a character."  

 Ironically the patterns designed by Ruby Short McKim, included this statement:

"Copyright by Thornton W. Burgess and Ruby Short.  "Quaddy Quilties." All Rights Reserved."

Soon a number of other books of Peter Rabbits hopped into book stores:

Linda Stevens Almond did a series of books published from 1917 until the early 1930s.

Louise A. Field wrote a book called Peter Rabbit and His Ma published in 1917 and another Peter Rabbit and His Pa.

Alma Hudson's Peter Rabbit book was published in 1921.

By 1917, Beatrix Potter was quoted as saying, "I guess all rabbits will be called Peter now." 

I know you are wondering why Potter didn't pursue this legally.  One source states that apparently her publisher didn't copyright her book when it was sent to the United States.  Another source said Potter considered taking legal action in the 1930s but by then the statute of limitations had run out.

Potter's characters continue to charm us and patterns as well as fabric continues to be printed.  Like so many children's books, her work has endured!

Have a safe and happy day! 

Story Time Stitches © 2021 Michele McLaughlin

Tuesday's This and That: July 6, 2021

Hello and how are you?  Did you have a happy holiday?  How did your dogs make out during the fireworks?

Today I'm full of questions for you.  Like this one... 

Do you start thinking about Christmas quilts in July?  A lot of quilters do and I used to until my family had too many of them. 😁  Now I'm just using up what I have left of my holiday fabric.  I still have a bin full but I'm getting there!

Have you needed carpal tunnel surgery?  My right hand was done about 10 years or so ago.  I am noticing that it's feeling numb again which is weird to me.  Anyway, I see the hand doctor in two weeks so I'll find out more answers then.

What are you working on?  I'm binding a quilt and have another to do after that.  Also rearranging some blocks for a quilt for my niece.  

Hoping you have a safe and happy day!

 

Jumbo the Elephant

In 1882, a controversial sale incensed the British press and public:

"There is great lamentation in  juvenile circles just now, for Jumbo, the large African elephant at the Zoological Gardens has been sold to the great showman Barnum, who intends to take him on a starring tour through the United States." (The Graphic, London England February 25, 1882)

Jumbo the elephant would indeed tour with the circus for the next three years.  It was Jumbo's fate that created glory for the pachyderm.  

"It seems that after an exhibition at St. Thomas, Ontario, Jumbo's keeper led him and the trick elephant, Tom Thumb, along the railway line to the Circus cars which were on a siding.  The rails there are laid on an embankment ten feet high.  As a freight train was approaching behind them the keeper directed Jumbo to go down the embankment.  Jumbo however, seeing no danger refused to descend..."  (The Standard, London, England September 17, 1885).

Jumbo was hit and crushed to death.  Tom Thumb was also injured and had to be euthanized.  

Barnum wasn't only the greatest showman, he was an advertising genius.  The other story circulated was slightly different:

"It appears the noble beast lost his life while trying to save that of his favorite, the baby trick elephant Tom Thumb.  When Jumbo saw the impending danger, which was not until the locomotive was almost upon him, he grasped his littel friend in his trunk and hurled him far out of danger..." (Harrisburg Telegraph, Pennsylvania, September 18, 1885).  Of course Jumbo could not save himself in time and Tom Thumb's injuries from the fall resulted in the decision to euthanize him.

Jumbo was not only a hero but he became immortalized in our redwork quilts.  Most of us who have studied antique quilts have seen this pattern.  It must have been a popular penny square.   There are lots of these "Jumbo" blocks featured on redwork quilts of the turn of the century.  Other children's stories featuring other elephants named Jumbo would also be popular, even through the 1920s.

This pattern was offered by the Detroit Free Press in 1937:

Memorial statue of Jumbo the Elephant in Ontario, Canada

Wishing you a safe and happy day!

Flower Friday: July 2, 2021

 Happy Flower Friday!

It's hard to imagine we are already in July!  Here's what's happening in my garden and yours!

Betsy has poppies blooming which she says self-sow every year!

Sue sent some photos of flowers and wildlife:

Spiderwort and bee

Double Road or Ditch Lily

White Lily with a young praying mantis

The garden is always interesting here and this week I noticed a new variation of Black Eyed Susan:

This all rust flower grew on this plant:

I read there are 40 different kinds of rudbeckia.  I planted one and ended up with a bunch of varieties.  At one point, I even wondered if one of my friends threw seeds to some of the other types in my garden or if they had just somehow created variations on their own.  I still have no idea.  Garden discoveries are wonderful!

Have a safe and happy day!