Flower Friday: April 15, 2022

 

Happy Flower Friday!

Alice has tulips already blooming!

They are gorgeous!!!

Sue sent some wonderful silly bunny images!

She asked:  "What were they thinking?"

😂😂😂

More cute ones from Sue:

And in my continuation of Peep love--saw this on the internet and it made me laugh:

Wishing you all the best and happiest Easter holiday!

Stitch 'N Sew Doll Pattern

 Beth always called this quilt pattern, "The Jackie Kennedy Quilt" because it reminded her of the First Lady.

The pattern was published in a 1968 issue of Stitch 'N Sew, a magazine that was popular in the 1960s.

I happen to have a quilt top!

It's full of wonderful 1960s fabric!

The dancing dolls seem like a wonderful way to kick off the Easter holidays and the advent of spring!

If you have anything you would like to share for our Friendship Friday, please email me at allentownquilter@gmail.com!

Have a safe and happy day!

Wednesday's This and That...

 It's a crazy couple of weeks full of taking family to doctor and test appointments.  So here, a day late, this week's this and that!

It's been a good couple of weeks for the history of women--even if some of the accolades are late.

Congratulations to the All-Black Women's Army Unit of WW 2 who were recognized with the Congressional Gold Medal!

Despite the disrespectful treatment of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson during the hearings, she made it through the Senate confirmation process.  Congratulations Judge!

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Did you take sewing lessons in grade, elementary, or high school?  I was at a distinct disadvantage when I went to a public high school because the Catholic school I attended previously didn't teach sewing.  When I took my first sewing class as a freshman and was supposed to make a dress, I didn't do well.  My mother never let me sew on her machine (my befuddlement with technology began at this early age).  The teacher told a friend of my mom's, "that girl can sew anything by hand but give her a machine and she's lost."  I didn't learn to sew with a machine until I was an adult.

Nann shared an interesting treasure and it can be found at this post.  It's a notebook from sewing classes and it was a joy to review!  Thank you Nann!  Check it out!

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More Bunnies!  

Check out Diann's bunny pillow that she is working on at her post here!

The Literate Quilter blog shared a variety of bunny quilts that were being displayed at a library.  You've got to see them!  Go here!

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Wishing you a safe and happy Wednesday!

Winifred Clark Embroidery and Applique Designs

 From my collection of antique embroidery and applique patterns. "Winifred Clark" designs were part of W. L. M. Clark Company.  Many of the Winifred series involved juvenile themed projects.  Another unrelated book can be found here on internet archives.

You may have heard of "Grandmother Clark's" patterns.  That was the same company.  

This particular book of transfers was published in 1921.  The designs were very popular and I've seen many of these images on a number of quilts.  By the way, some of the designs were frequently found in publications by other companies.  It wasn't unusual in the beginning of the 20th century for patterns to be "borrowed".

Please note that this was not a hot iron process but the "Aladdin Friction Process".    According to the instructions, "All that is necessary to transfer Aladdin Friction Designs, is to lay the desired design on the cloth, and rub very briskly with a teaspoon or any round, smooth instrument, as it is the friction on this patent ink which produces the transfer."

Have a great day!

Pussy Willows

 

Grandma went upstairs to her scrap drawer to find some pieces of bright calico.   "We will make a pussy willow quilt for our farmer's new baby boy," she said.

"Oh, oh, how lovely!" cried Anita with shining eyes:  "but tell me dear grandma, what is a pussy willow quilt?"

A pussy willow quilt, Anita is a quilt made out of pieces, sewed neatly together and here and there we will embroider tiny bunches of pussy willows on the patches."

Anita was, indeed, happy, and she helped her grandma with the sewing and by 5 o'clock the quilt was ready to embroider and then line.

The next day Anita learned how to embroider little gray down pussies in the patches, and she and her grandma had lots of fun both working on the same quilt at the same time...

From "Happy Days for Anita" syndicated in many newspapers as a child's tale, 1920.

🐱🐱🐱

The magic of pussy willows is the appeal to the young and to those of us who are young at heart.  Nana Betty always had a bouquet of them in her home before Easter and I continue the tradition by adding branches to whatever floral arrangements I have in the house.

The story of the quilt that Anita and grandmother made makes me wonder if this was a new idea for a quilt or one that makers were doing before the Depression.  It seems like all of the pussy willow quilts I've seen were crib quilts.  Quilt kits in particular celebrated the idea of kitties on a branch.  Most of the kits were from the 1940s through the 1950s.  I have two of the same pattern in my collection:

The pink above is most likely from the 1940s batch of kits.  The mint green one from the later production of the kits in the 1950s.

Another style of quilt kit from the 1950s was found at an online auction:

There is a lot of folklore about how pussy willows got their name.  The tales usually focuses on kittens and water.  Be it flood or falling in a river, the willow trees magically bend their branches to save the kittens.  Each year afterwards, the willows showed soft furry buds in honor of the kittens they saved.

The magic of springtime is enhanced by these whimsical bushes.  There is even a poem for children written by Aileen Fisher that celebrates the advent of the little pussies:

"Close your eyes

And do not peek

And I'll rub Spring

Across your cheek.

Smooth as satin,

Soft and sleek.

Close your eyes

And do not peek."

Wishing you a happy and magical day!

Flower Friday: April 8, 2022

Happy Flower Friday!

I know "April Showers bring May flowers" and that is sure happening here!  We've had quite a lot of rain since April 1!  I hope you are getting whatever kind of weather you need right now.

Alice was surprised to find that her mosquito plant survived the winter in her unheated 3 season room!  It's coming back!

Talk about a spring surprise!

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Many of the daffodils are in full bloom here in our garden!

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One of my friends on facebook posted this photograph.  It is a mural in Kyiv, Ukraine and credited to the artist Sasha Korban.

Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy weekend!

Play Ball!

Good morning!  

Today marks the first official day of baseball season!

The above photo is from an embroidered coverlet in my collection.  There's no date on it but the maker sure went to great lengths to personalize the coverlet.

I haven't found many baseball themed vintage or antique quilts.  Still there was one way that quilters sometimes incorporated baseball themed blocks in their work--with tobacco silks or flannels that were a premium sold with tobacco.

Quite a few of them celebrated not only professional players (as above) but college teams as well:

These premiums could be sewn into a quilt or often a coverlet.  Here is a photo I found of one on Pinterest:

The flannel ones tend to age better than the silk ones.

Here's a fun article you may want to read on the tobacco.

The only free gift I remember our family received for buying something was free glassware and dishes in boxes of detergent.

Tomorrow is our Friendship/Flower Friday.  If you have anything to share, please email me at allentownquilter@gmail.com.

Have a safe and happy opening day!