“Quilters cut with hope, stitch with grace, quilt with dreams, bind with laughter, share with love”. -Anonymous Most quilters are fabric hoarders. They joke about this tendency to squirrel away fat quarters, swatches or whole bolts of choice designs. But, on a deeper level, fabric is a symbolic material that represents the core human needs of […]
Tag Archives: quilts
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Aug
“There was nothing but land: not a country at all, but the material out of which countries are made.” -Willa Cather The oxen leaned into the yoke, pushing against the wood with their sinewy strength. Under the weight of the covered wagon, the iron rimmed wheels grated against the gravel cutting ruts of legacy. […]
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Aug
“I always have the most fun on the Fourth of July. You don’t have to exchange any gifts. You just go to the beach and watch fireworks.” -James Lafferty Linda Nelson Johnson- Fourth of July hand dyed fabric with metallic thread Learning How to Celebrate We were just married. Inexperienced. Not thinking things through. My husband […]
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Aug
“The whole world opened to me when I learned to read.” -Mary McLeod Bethune, educator Artist Unknown It started with my first born, Jessalyn, wrapped papoose-style in her cotton candy pink quilt, and tucked in my elbow. With my other hand, I held a magazine with lots of pictures and slowly turned the pages […]
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“To be invited within the circle of handiwork is one of the oldest forms of female acceptance and companionship.” – Patricia C. McKissack When I was teaching school, my personal life morphed into a crazy quilt pattern, with some heavily embellished patches, but no organized pattern. The “in the ditch” grind of curricular demands left […]
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Aug
Aug
“And just like that, autumn overtook summer with the softest kiss.” -unknown Photo by Martingale Like the bees buzzing in the air, we humans think that warm days will never cease. But the crispness of the breeze signals that a new season will dawn with produce that is ripe to the core. Abundant orchards of […]
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Aug
“Because you have taken hands, touched hearts and opened minds, you will never be forgotten. Love and best wishes.” Dedication on retired teacher’s quilt Phyllis Stephens, Quilt artist Brooklynartscouncil.org Every teacher needs to put this advice into her daily lesson plan book. It is the Three R’s to an educator’s peace of mind. […]
My mother married in 1930, just as the Great Depression descended upon our country like locusts on a cornfield. Her life in the Dust Bowl area included a Hooverville, The Black Hand, midwife delivery of my older brother, and feed sack material for hand sewing. While my father worked six days a week, 12 hours […]
“Cousins are connected, heart to heart. Distance and time can’t break them apart.” –Anonymous Most of my cousins live in Iowa where they farm, teach school, staff offices, and raise vegetables in gardens. But one of our riotous clan took root in Malawi, African soil. Time and distance separated us. My older cousin, Byron Jeys, […]
think blue line When my daughter, Rene’, married Chris, the wedding proved to be one of the most emotional experiences of my life. The significance of their upcoming vows took a turn when the groomsmen bought the latest bullet proof vest for Chris. As the groomsmen put it, this gift was for Rene’ so Chris […]