Flower Friday: June 16, 2023

 

Happy Flower Friday!

Barb sent us a photo of her amazing clematis.  Wow and WOW!  Below it is a Montauk daisy.

Wendy sent more photos of Nantucket for us to drool over!  More than one of you longed to be there too!

Check out these succulent gardens! Wow!

There are certain towns in the U.S. and probably other places that jam flowers in every nook and cranny they can.  Nanctucket is like that and reminds me of other coastal towns that do that (Camden, Maine comes to mind and Cape May, NJ).  Yes they have a thriving tourist trade but I can't help but think that a big part of the charm isn't just the proximity to the ocean but the care taken into floral works of art!

Thank you Barb and Wendy!

Have a safe and happy day!

Peaceful Piecing

 

Happy Thursday!

I wonder if you go in sewing phases too?  Right now, I just feel like piecing.  I finished making 16 patches from a jelly roll I had and then...put them in a drawer.  I felt like piecing more blocks and not arranging a quilt.

So now I'm using up charms and making disappearing four patches.  I hadn't used that pattern in years and I've been having fun with it.  I like the relaxation that piecing the same block brings.  At first (because I didn't remember the block that well), I diligently followed instructions but then something kicks in and it just becomes a relaxing activity.  

I end up doing as many as I can with no particular quilt in mind but simply and completely enjoying the process.  For now, I'm just enjoying the crisp stack of blocks I complete.  I know that later I will be grateful for having the blocks when I do feel like assembling a quilt.

This kind of peace is not unlike when I hand quilted or knit.  Do you know what I mean?

I hope I always enjoy this process.  In 1929, a newspaper article in Missouri reported that Aunt Katy Brooks was 2 months from her 100th birthday.  Aunt Katy spent her time piecing as well.  By the September issue of the paper, she had just completed her seventh quilt of the year.  You go Aunt Katy!

***

Another article I found was published in 1914 and did not discuss the peace of piecing.  It was from a woman who enjoyed piecing and had a point to make:  

"Well reading in the Independent Farmer, I noticed an article about piecing quilts.  The woman who wrote said it was a waste of time to piece quilts.  Now there is nothing nicer than a lot of quilts...everybody here pieces their own quilts and uses them too when they are finished....

...people now days think that pieced quilts are old fashioned so they work for months at a time on a piece of fancy work that doesn't amount to anything when finished.  It is only made to look at.  While they are glad enough to sleep under a lot of home made quilts on these cold winter nights..."

Throughout our history of quilting, there have always been articles about quilting revivals.  

1869

1899

For a while I collected these articles and headlines during the 19th and early 20th century until it seemed silly to me.  The truth is that quilting never really went out of style.  What I think differed is that the Who's Who in determining what should make news had taken notice of what women were doing (especially when more affluent women took up quilting).

I suspect that you share that love of peace we find in the making of a quilt (sometimes I think it is better than the joy of finishing).

***

Tomorrow is Flower Friday and if you have any photos you can share, please email me at allentownquilter@gmail.com!

Have a safe and happy day!

Designs Still Worth Doing: Child Life and Studio

 Good morning to you and happy Wednesday!

Louise sent some images of McKim patterns.  Here are her small 3 inch blocks of Roly Polys:

And also a Roly Poly Elephant in a unique setting along with the Prickly Porcupine in unique settings!

In 1924, McKim ran another series quilt in Child Life Magazine.  It is aptly called the Child Life Quilt.  This is another angular pattern but an interesting study of childhood and the times.  It's not without controversy.   Some blocks, like the African American child eating watermelon, the Native American child, and the mining boy can be considered offensive.

But some are still relevant for use today.  In particular the ballerina.  I don't have a photo but at one point, I made a drawstring bag for my granddaughter's dance shoes that featured the block.

A similar project could be made of the swimming girl:

In 1925, the McKims opened a cottage business featuring Ruby's patterns.  The company offered a variety of projects and took out ads in assorted newspapers.

One such example was the turkey pattern which McKim marketed as a design for a bib or a tray cloth.  I found the pattern on Martha Gray's now defunct blog, "Q is for Quilter."  Since I didn't need a bib or a tray cloth, I made a tea towel.

Ruby supported using the patterns in a variety of ways.  As we will see in later posts, she had no problem reusing the designs for a number of projects.

Wishing you a safe and happy day!

  

Tuesday's This and That: June 13, 2023

 

Happy Tuesday!

We have a variety of things for this week's Tuesday.  First off, I have a whole binder of teeny weeny advertisements for quilt patterns.  I found most of them in a plastic bag in an old sewing box I bought years ago.  Apparently the owner was saving them for inspiration.  Among them, this one which has now interested me:

I've never been able to find another quilt pattern by Margaret Whittemore but I did learn that she was a Kansas artist.  Born in 1897, she passed in 1983.  She's now a new member of the Story Time Stitches patterns I've saved because she did work as an artist and illustrator.  A good summary of her is here and here.  I also found an illustration from a newspaper:

Apparently she also wrote a small booklet or book called Quilting, A New Old Art via Capper publications.  I've never seen the book but if you can provide insight, I'd like to know more about her love of quilting!

***

"I" is for Ice Cream

Monday was the first real humid day we had this spring.  It felt good like life was returning to normal and my hubby and I had ice cream for dessert.

About a decade ago, our guild made quilts for the kids who were at school when a tornado hit.  I think it was in Oklahoma.  The quilts were given to the elementary school children to comfort them when they returned to school.  Somewhere I have a photo of the quilt I made at the time but I did find the pattern we used which is here.  One night on Pinterest, I found a much better layout which you can see on this blog here.  It's really a refereshing quilt!

Another Ice cream motif is from the Nancy Page Alphabet quilt but you could certainly do a quilt featuring ice cream.

Would you consider doing an ice cream quilt for a child?

Have a safe and happy day!

Garden Delights

 

Happy Monday!

More flowers for Sue--and you--today.  Happily for Flower Friday, Wendy is sharing more delights from Nantucket.  Many of you wished you could be in Nantucket.  Thanks Wendy!

Even in the midst of the drought, I find things that delight me.  I was worried about the bees in our garden and found an early morning solution...Lady's Mantle!

I was trying to figure out how to water for the bees beyond putting out small bowls of water that the squirrels drink up right away.  The bees and the moths actually showed me this solution while I was watering.

I've always been charmed by dew drops on Lady's Mantle.  The water clings in perfect drops even when you water them.  By watering the top of the plant (versus the soil as I normally do), there are plenty of droplets for insects to enjoy.  I tell them each morning, "here have a drink on me" and they do!

Actually, the dew drops on Lady's Mantle was once believed to carry mystical powers.  European folks collected the water from the top of the plants and added the droplets to their magic potions.  The scientific name for the plant, "Alchemela Mollis", is where the word "alchemy" originated.

***

Every year I find something new that delights me in the garden.  My husband has finally aged to the point where he finds these small gifts enjoyable as well (versus rolling his eyes and changing the subject to "important" things).

I like to have a hanging basket of Fucshia in my garden because the hummingbirds like that plant.  I haven't had any since we took the big willow tree (where I always hung it).  

This year I was determined to have Fucshia again.  I bought a a few seedling at the nursery hoping that at least one or two would take.  And then, at a local farm, I found two wonderful hanging baskets at an affordable price.  I had to have them.

Fucshia is a favorite plant in British gardens.  My favorite English garden writer, Beverly Nichols, always seemed to have them in his garden.  And in Britain, some of the flowers are hardy and return each year.

What has charmed me this year is the variety of colors that my seedlings are producing.  Even the pink basket of fucshia has an an unusual ruffled corolla:

Parts of the flower.

This seedling has developed into a pretty small plant but is blooming.  Two different colors are featured on this one plant!

A pink and lavender variety that just started blooming.  

So that's what some of what is interesting me in the garden these days.  What is delighting you?

Have a safe and happy and hopefully rainy day!

Cottage Gardening

 

Good morning!

I know, it's unusual for me to post about the garden when it's not Friday but our friend Sue is still recovering from her broken femur and I thought this post might cheer her up.  We love you Sue!

If you love gardening, see if you can find any shows featuring Monty Don who's quote is used on the beginning of the post.  He's my favorite British gardener and I think you will really enjoy and learn from him!

Gardening is like life.  There's always ups and downs and this year's garden is no different.  Some of the cons of this year:

We haven't had rain since the last week of April.  It's taking it's toll on the garden and on our water bill.

The hostas are burning up:

This photo was taken a week ago and things look worse.  It's not unusual for my hostas to look peaked by the end of the summer but the kids are just out of school; this is just way too early.

The wildlife is suffering.  I have some ground bees out front and I noticed that they are walking around the soil in a confused manner.  A crawling bee is an unhealthy bee.  Could it be parasites?  Possibly.  But more likely they are reacting to the drought and lack of water as well.

Up at Linda's house in the country, she's started to put pans of water out for the deer.  The deer have been pawing the mulched garden looking for any moisture.  It's pathetic.

But there are always pros in life and gardening.  

Pro 1:  We are supposed to get measurable rain Monday or Tuesday.  Let's hope we do.  Even with watering, the soil reverts to dry and cracked partially from the sun, partially from the consistent breezes.

Pro 2:  All the flowers are standing upright instead of smashed over by rain.  Small victory but still...

Pro 3:  Some things just want to live.

The drought tolerant lamb's ears (above) are about to bloom and are a great favorite of the bees.  And below, the oak leaf hydrangea is beginning to bloom!

I have a cottage garden which goes with the stone clad little cape we live in.  Cottage gardens always are filled with surprises.  One of the plants that I have had for many years is called Lunaria and it self sows all over the place.

These tiny upright flowers are more pink than the photo illustrates.  The plant is a great favorite in British gardens and I've read that most English cottage gardens usually always include foxgloves and lunaria.  I can't remember where we got the seeds for this plant but it certainly is easy to cultivate!

Coral bells also self sow all over the place.  But this year, some have germinated in one of our garden walls and it astounds me that they have survived in this weather!

Fever few and rudbeckia are two other drought tolerant plants and they are beginning to make a wonderful show in the garden!

And one cone flower has bloomed and more are on the way!

Every year, I found at least one (if not more) magical thing in the garden that delights me.  Tomorrow I'll post that plant!

Have a safe and happy Sunday