Dear Jane ....

Several months ago my friend Paula bought me the book Dear Jane by Brenda Papadakis. This Civil War era quilt was finished in 1863 in the small state of Vermont by Jane Stickley. I'm sure this modest widow had know idea that her hand crafted quilt would be re-created over and over again in the late 20th century. The original quilt is proudly displayed in a small town Vermont museum. 

When I initially received the book, complete with rulers I was so excited. I had wanted to make this quilt for a few years but just didn't feel ready to tackle this beauty. Now, with book in hand I thought it was time. Eagerly I started leafing through the book and it wasn't long before I realized this project was WAY over my head! The book and rulers were tucked away with my other quilt books and soon became a memory.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Once again I was inspired to make my own "Dear Jane" quilt. This time I actually tackled a block ... A-1, "I'm ready if you are."

Much to my dismay I created the block 1/2 inch to small all the way around. Oh boy, I was again in over my head and discouraged. I shared my block story with  a few quilting friends and Sheryl, the owner of Temecula Quilt Co. shared with me the fact that there is a software program designed specifically for the Dear Jane quilt. Woo hoo! 

The morning of July 4th. I am opening my birthday gifts when to door bell rings. It's the mail man with a delivery from Amazon.com. Wow, what is this?? I open the shipping box and find a gift wrapped package. By now I'm wondering who sent me a book for my birthday. Oh my, it was more then just a book, it is the Dear Jane software!! And, it's a gift from my long arm quilter, Susie. She was one of the ladies I was grousing about my quilt block frustrations too!

The next day I had the CD loaded and was printing off sewing directions for blocks A1 and A2!!

Oh yes!! My Dear Jane if you can see me I am so proud of myself! Three of these four quilt blocks were not easy but I'm on my way! Only 400 plus blocks to go! This will be a very long haul so don't look for this to be completed any time soon!

Pure Magic .... This book is full of all sorts of magical tips and patterns!!

Here are a few samples of Dear Jane. I love a worn and loved look to my quilts so I plan to use a tea stained background fabric similar to the picture on the left. Pray for me and wish me luck!

 

Happy Birthday America!!!

"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4th, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.”
~Erma Bombeck

Borrowed from Home in New England

May your 4th of July be blessed .... 

My Friends know me so Well!

In just a few days I will celebrate my birthday!! Love birthdays ... even getting older is OK. So today when I got the mail there were 3 cards for me, I giggled when I opened the first card because it was so cute and the sender knows me so well. Then I opened the 2nd one and realized there was a theme brewing, by the third one I would have thought they all got together and planned their cards except these gals don't really know each other.

All three of my cards are featuring my little blog dog Betsy!! Do these gals know me or what?

Here she is Miss Betsy Ross, the real thing. Her birthday is coming up this month as well, we are both Cancer's!

I found this wonderful bottle of wine at World Market and decided to treat myself to a birthday gift. I don't like red wines but I love this bottle!

I didn't quite capture the whole name, it's "Zindependence" it's a red Zinfdel wine ... to cute!

 

July 1, 1863 ....

It was 7:30 am, the air was already warm and muggy when Union Lt. Marcellus Jones was ordered to fire. His firing launched the Battle of Gettysburg. For the next three days the Union and Confederate soldiers fought the bloodiest as well as deadliest battle of the Civil War. By the end of July 3, 1863 both sides had lost more then 23,000 soldiers. A total of 46,000 American men and boys lost their lives .... It's no wonder the hollowed grounds of this battle field are still haunted 161 years later.

Casualties and losses
23,055 (3,155 killed  14,531 wounded  5,369 captured/missing)[4]	23,231 (4,708 killed  12,693 wounded  5,830 captured/missing)[5]

 Union numbers are on the left, Confederate on the right.

Historians later claimed that the battle of Gettysburg was the turning point in the Civil War and the time when the Union began to take control.

While watching the Angels play baseball this evening I was sewing a binding on a quilt I made at our Spring retreat. 

I'm busy tacking down my binding with my tootsies sticking out the bottom!

 I realized the fabric I used on the back was a scene from the 3 day Battle of Gettysburg and I started reading it and and tracking the battle lines. I noticed that today was the anniversary of the battle.

Right there it is Battle of Gettysburg, PA. July 1,2,and 3rd 1863

I don't believe in coincidences, nothing is random. God has a plan for everything that happens and for some reason I was supposed to put binding on this quilt today. Maybe to pay tribute to these men who lost their lives for equality ...

Day 1, the battle lines a drawn, Confederate soldiers have surrounded Gettysburg and the Union troops under General Mead's orders march into Gettysburg.

In mid November President Lincoln travels to the battlefields of Gettysburg to address the nation ...

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

 For reasons unbeknownst to me I am drawn to this era of our history. I am attracted to American antiques, patriotism, and 1800's era quilts.

A small collection of my Civil War era quilts ....

Picnic Season is Upon Us .....

The weather in Southern California is beautiful right now ... perfect time of year for a picnic. The 4th of July is just a few days away and what inspires us more then the 4th for an old fashioned picnic? My parents weren't big on picnic's, I don't ever in my life remember a picnic with them. However, my neighbors had a lot of kids and they loved a Sunday afternoon at the park! They were great people and never minded having a few extra kids tag along. Along with a portable BBQ a lot of weenies a mountain of potato salad and a big juicy watermelon they brought a huge old bedspread to lay on the grass for everyone to sit on. I have so many wonderful memories of those childhood picnics and the great family who loved all of us.

In the recent edition of Primitive Quilters Magazine I found a quilt pattern that caused all those summer memories to come flooding back. "Picnic in the Park" is it's name and I just love the worn and faded look of the fabrics. It was the work of the Homestead Hearth Quilt Shop in Mexico, MO. I quickly went on line and ordered the kit, I've learned the hard way that you can not wait to order these kits as they will all be gone!

I went to work on it right away, if I didn't summer would be over before it ever got out of the shipping box. It is just about finished and will go to the quilters this week. I am sharing a few pics for you to see this great fabric, once it's done I post the finished product.

I love these new Molly B fabrics by Marcus Brothers ....

I was working on the pieced border when I took this picture ...

 

I love the color pallet, my quilting buddies fondly call this "mushy" ....

This quilt has a similar feel to the old worn out bedspread used so many years ago. I wish I knew what happened to that old thing, probably ended up in the trash when we all grew up and abandoned those picnics for boys, cars, and children of our own ....

A Little Hand Quilting ....

I have been busy creating a simple project for my friends to teach them how to "hand quilt."

This is so easy and actually relaxing to do while watching TV in the evenings. I purchased a piece of red checked fabric from Walmart and cut it to the size necessary to play a game of checkers. I searched through my blue prints and found the perfect scraps to use for the 3 inch borders. I layered a thin piece of batting between the backing piece and pinned the three layers together. I used very tiny stitches all the way around the boarder and also along the lines of the red check print.

You don't need many supplies to complete this little project. Just a nice sharp sewing needle, a spool of YLI thread and these little leather dots. I hate thimbles as much as I hate needle pricks in my finger tips! These little leather pads are just what this stitcher ordered! 

 

 

My three grand kids arrived last Wednesday afternoon for a weeks visit. It is always chaotic, noisy and the occasional tears. When they arrive their first request for grandma is a trip to Toys R Us. Of course I load them up and away we go. Thursday morning I came downstairs to this scene on the living room floor ...

All three of them are engrossed with my collection of 100 plus year old marbles. I have three large glass jars full of them. They belonged to my dad and my uncle when they were boys and several of the very old rock/clay marbles had belonged to my grandfather. The youngest, Alexia was sorting out all the orange ones, Austin was searching for all the rock/clay ones and Karlee was looking for the shooters. These kids have all the newest gadgets, electronic Ipads, and so on ... and here they sit with free, old tyme marbles.....

This just made me laugh so I decided to share it. My friend Amy, visiting from Wyoming was here along with my family (I had a FULL house!) This group of princesses from around the world were nestled on my stairs with Sofia and her special purple pony standing guard. Amy was heading up the stairs when she found this group of beauties and decided to get down to their level and have a chat with them! Alexia came over, wrapped her little arm around Amy's neck to hear what Amy had to say. By the time I got my camera out and running Lexi had taken off ... Amy was still chatting it up with the girls!

 Family ... there is just nothing better ....

A Wonderful Visit ....

My son was always very close to my mom, his "Mimie." He never knew his grandpa as he had passed away before Dustin was born. However, I know they would have been close as well. They are two peas in a pod without ever knowing each other!

Yesterday my son loaded up his truck with his entire family, including his sister and went to visit his Mimie.

My heart was so touched when these pictures came into my IPhone.

Searching for the right marker ....

Karlee is waiting to put the flowers on their grave while Austin scratches his head and wonders "why are we here!"

Now that's a load of kids!!

I'm so proud of my son for sharing his love of my mom with his kids. He's a keeper ....

Rest in peace mom and dad, your family loves you.