Gees bend Quilt Revisited

The owner of the Gees Bend quilt, obtained in the early 1970s, was thrilled to hear from Jeff Cunningham that his brother Joe informed that the quilt was worth quite a bit more than she ever imagined.

The quilt was in the Pentwater Quilt Display in July, which the quilt owner and I organized. I was curious about a man who was talking to people about the quilts like someone who knew what he was talking about, and went over to meet him. I was surprised to find out who he was. He had been in the area for the Art Fair and heard about the quilts. He enjoyed the venue and encouraged us to continue the event.

Educating people about the proper value and care of their quilts is so important.

Reggie's Christmas, an 1881 children's book

Many years ago my mother-in-law showed me a children's book that was given to her by her uncle James Nelson. Reggie's Christmas was published by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1881. The hard cover book is small enough for a child's hands, a mere 5 1/2 " by 3 1/2" . 

Laura O'Dell Bekofske's father's brother James Nelson first owned the book. His inked signature appears on the front page. He then wrote "Book. Keep it clean. April 17 1890" and we find Laura Grace O'Dell's name written in pencil.

It was perhaps her only children's book. The story is about a family whose oldest son is lost in a shipwreck coming home from studying in England, but surprises the family by coming home on Christmas. His sibling's and mother's life is shown as they wait to hear news of their beloved Reggie. 

I used some of the line drawings of the children's life to make a little Redwork quilt.

Mabel goes to her mother, who is sewing by firelight, for a little chat and to dress her doll. The twins look at a book with children in a candy store, and a girl afraid of a sheep. Ben comes home from school and mother has to tell him that his elder brother was lost at sea. But after Reggie returns, the father goes out to buy presents for Christmas. At the shop are poor children wistfully looking at toys for "the rich children" but not for them. The father feels such joy at the gift of his son's life being spared, he buys the poor children presents for their whole family. At the end we learn that Reggie  had clung to a plank and was picked up by a steamer on its way back to England. Sadly the telegraph was out of order, and he could not wire home of his safety. Reggie boarded the next steamer to America, and so surprised his grieving parents.

It may seem a sad story for children but I fear that in 1881 it was too common a tale. Not unlike books for children today meant to mirror reality. I especially like the example of the father responding to the poor children. After all, when we understand what really matters, and have been given the greatest gift of life, we ought to share that bounty with those less fortunate and hence bring them great joy as well.

Mid-Century American Colonial Decorating Fabrics Quilt

About 12 years ago I found this quilt on eBay. It has a pieced top made of decorating fabrics from the 1950s and  1960s. Feather stitch embroidery outlines each patch. It is not lined. It weighs a ton! But it was cheap and I loved those prints everyone had when I grew up.

Revolutionary soldiers can be found

Lots of old signs, eagles, a wooden "Indian". Early American history re imagined for the Mad Men age!

Warm oranges and browns and cool turquoise and olive green predominates. Some prints have red, white & blue.

Vintage Grandma Moses style print decorating fabrics are still found for sale on eBay. I love this maple sugar gathering print.

Even the floral fabrics are in the same color palettes of colors, turquoise, blue, orange and brown.

In 1957 we moved to the largest apartment in our family home that housed three families. My cousins had lived in there until they bought a house. We moved in afterwards. The walls had a brown floral wallpaper. The wainscoting was painted brown. Mom bought a nylon couch in turquoise, with a matching chair in a brown and cream print and a solid brown chair. They lasted forever! We had the brown chair in the early 1970s. That color scheme is very familiar to me!

Around 1958 Mom redecorated with more turquoise. Dad built the wood cornices.

When my husband went off to college in 1968 his mom made him a quilt, one of her first. It includes some decorating fabrics that she had in her stash.

I wish I had a picture of the early 1960s turquoise and white pop-up camper my dad bought and gave us in the 1990s. The curtains were in a brown/gold/orange barkcloth American Revolution print. So cool! The electric system blew out and we gave the camper away after many years of use.

1902 McCalls Magazine

Many years ago I was given a battered, partial 1902 McCalls magazine which had been used to store silk embroidery floss. The floss was sometimes woven into the pages.  The pictures and illustrations are still interesting although the pages torn and battered.

More Favorite Handkerchiefs

Here are some more favorite handkerchiefs from my collection. I stated collecting handkerchiefs in 1993 so I could make a handkerchief quilt. Back then I found them for fifty cents or a dollar as yard sales and dumpy flea markets. Later I started to buy on eBay as well as in antique malls and flea markets. Now I have six or eight hundred in my collection, some meant for cutting, some for quilting, and some just because they are lovely to behold.

This mint with label peacock has more intense colors in real life . I believe it is from the later 20th c, 60s or 70s even.

A painterly presentation of trees, this hanky is in Pat Gardner's book Handkerchief Quilts. I was lucky to find one of my own on eBay.

I loved this later 20th c Japanese handkerchief so much I made it into a wall hanging. I added borders that continued the hanky design elements.

A literary souvenir handkerchief is of The House of the Seven Gables which inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's book of the same name.

I was born near Lake Erie, moved to Michigan, and for some time have lived along Lake Michigan. This Great Lakes hanky from the 50s is one of my favorite souvenir hankies.

I love this natural looking flower garden with the light blue background.

I have a collection of hankies with leaves on them, which I have always planned to make into a bed quilt some day. This is one of the more vibrant ones.

I also collect handkerchiefs with violets and pansies. Have planned to make a bed quilt with them some day. I wonder if I will live long enough to make all these quilts I want to make!

I hope you enjoyed seeing some more vintage handkerchiefs!

The Negro Problem

I am preparing my quilt for shipping to be shown at the Grand Rapids, MI American Quilt Society show. And I took the time to read again the quotations I embroidered. And I feel the quilt is timely.

The women on the quilt, black and white, all worked for freedom and equality. Their words still move me as I read them again.

"Remember we are not fighting for the freedom of the Negro alone, but for the freedom of the human spirit, a larger freedom that encompasses all mankind." Ella Baker 1903-1986

"The chasm between what the principles upon which this government was founded ... and those which are daily practiced...yawn wide and deep." Mary Church Terrell 1863-1954

"Problems lie not so much in our action as in our inaction." Diane Nash 1938-

"The ultimate test of democracy in the United States will be the way in which it solves the Negro problem." Rev Pauli Murray 1910-1985

"In toiling for the freedom of others, we shall find our own." Lydia Maria Child 1802-1880

"Shall I be inactive and permit prejudice...to remain undisturbed? Or shall I ...enlist in the ranks of those who...dare hold combat with prevailing inequity?" Prudence Crandall 1803-1880

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." Harriet Tubman 1820-1913

"For it isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it." Eleanor Roosevelt 1884-1962

The quilt title, I Will Lift My Voice Like A Trumpet, is from a speech by Angelina Grimke Weld. Born on  a Southern plantation, she and her sister Sarah left their home for Philadelphia and became Quakers. Even the Quakers were not accepting of their radical Abolitionist views. Angelina became a speaker for Abolition. She was speaking in Philadelphia when hostile crowds surrounded the building and threatened to burn it down. Still she raised her voice for freedom.

Virginia Dunn was married to a lawyer. When the Dunns supported Civil Rights their Southern society dropped them, socially and professionally. They put up the bail money for Rosa Parks. 

Anne Braden (1924-2006) and her husband worked for housing rights. Retribution was forthcoming. She said, "It's a fine thing to sit and talk and get your heart in the right place, but it ain't going to have one bit of impact. Whites need to be visible and engaged."

Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1972) was a grass roots worker. She knew from experience the truth of her words, "Ain't nothing going to be handed to you on a silver platter, nothing. That's not just black people, that's people in general. You've got to fight. Every step of the way, you've got to fight."

One who chose her battle line was Rosa Parks (1913-2005). She explained, "I knew someone had to take the first step and I made up my mind not to move."

America is still in process of working out "the Negro problem", which is of course really a human problem, involving us all. I take some comfort in Septima Clark's words (1889-1987), "I have a great belief in the fact that wherever there is chaos, it creates wonderful thinking. I consider chaos a gift."

What chaos will manifest itself in America today? What phoenix will rise from the fire of one more polarizing and igniting point? What can we do, can I do, to bring justice and mercy and peace to a broken world? 

More from the Pentwater Quilt Display

Along with the heirloom quilts, contemporary quilters and several collectors brought quilts to the show. These spanned the last thirty years of quiltmaking.

A Stack n Wack star showed up.

Connie Hiscock, sister-in-law of co-organizer Anne Soles, made this red and green applique quilt based on antique patterns:

A local quiltmaker and machine quilter contributed this house quilt. Viewers loved her color palette and fabrics.

Another organizer, Mary Jane Crimp, made this Lone Star quilt and the broken star that follows.

Mary Jane belongs to a group of quilters that meet at a local church. They made the blocks for this crazy quilt. They had a great deal of fun collecting the laces and fabrics.

Kristin Forester set up our display.  I loved her early Bow Tie. It looks almost contemporary in its use of white background with bold bright colors.

She also had several smaller quilts and pillow sets.

 I am afraid I don't know who made all the quilts in the show. These quilts being in that category.

A United Methodist Church quilt group in North Carolina made this blue and white quilt belonging to Carol Cornelisen.

I contributed some of my older and more recent works, including the Prince's Feather made for my husband. My President redwork quilt was quite a hit. I also had my Mountain Mist Sunflower applique, my first handkerchief quilt, the Little Women quilt, and several quilts I have collected recently.

This bargello wall hanging was made by a local quilter as a housewarming gift. The beauty of  Pentwater  can be seen in the color choices. I immediately saw the sand beach, the water and the sun.