quiltersmuse.com Blog

Notwithstanding the fact that I was born in New Hampshire, that is not the only reason I enjoy living in the Granite State. I like the state because:

1) There is such an emphasis on history and the arts. We have quality museums that have an awful lot to offer. The NH Historical Society and Museum of NH History provides state of the art exhibits as well as wonderful publications with articles that are meaty, on target, and in depth. They provide quality educational lectures on myriad topics that both members and non-members are welcome to attend.

2) New Hampshire has been home to prominent writers, poets, sculptors, folksingers, quilters, painters, and other creative souls. To drop a few names into the conversation, we’d have to mention Richard Letterer, Robert Frost, Celia Thaxter, Augustus St. Gaudens, Bill Staines, Carol Doak, Faye Labanaris, Harriet E. Wilson, and others we have failed to list.

3) I like New Hampshire because we are home to one of the largest quilt shops in the country: Keepsake Quilting in Centre Harbor, a site that is located not far from the terrific Moultonboro Country Store, and the Remick Museum, further north, a great destination for the family.

4) We have an educational system that is unsurpassed, on all levels, and which holds high standards for teacher training. We are also home to Dartmouth College, an Ivy League school. Our state educational network of colleges and university sites are exceptional.

5) Recreation possibilities abound whether you enjoy swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, golfing, snowboarding, skiing, or skating.

6) Yankees are likely to lend a helping hand, whenever needed. Just be sure to bring a map with you. If you stop a native, he might just scratch his head and report that “You cain’t git they-a from he-a.” Of course, he’d be right! We have lots of back roads, passable only by those who know where they are going!

7) We can lay claim to having had one man elected from New Hampshire to serve in the White House, President Franklin Pierce.

With the first political primary in the country, we are the location that the nation watches when it comes to national elections.

9) Shopping for antiques here is grand. Like everywhere else, you might have to sort through the trash to find the treasure, but a day’s outing usually turns up some must-have items. Who knows? One man’s trash is another man’s treasure…as they say.

10) A sense of social justice and reason prevails here. The state was strongly abolitionist, and according to some, there was a network of “safe houses” in NH. We have also recently welcomed a huge number of immigrants, from all over the world, into our midst, not the least of whom have been people from Africa. They wear very colorful native dress and make the landscape more beautiful, by their presence.

For these ten reasons, and others, I love New Hampshire, whose motto is “Live Free or Die.”

“There is nothing so powerful as the truth.” – the late Daniel Webster, NH.

Patricia

I told someone recently that I am going into a “music phase.” Coincidentally, my son bought me an antique, round back mandolin. I am just learning to play it, but he is a quick study. Today, when he and his family visited me, he picked up the mandolin and with just a few chord charts in front of him, he quickly learned enough chords so that, in no time flat, we were both singing, he was playing mandolin, and I was playing guitar.

For music, we chose some “old faithfuls” that do not have a lot of chord changes: “You Are My Sunshine,” “Take Me Home Country Roads,” and “This Land is Your Land.” I like the sound of the mandolin. It really fills out the folksy sound.

Life is funny. I had one parent who was musically inclined, and we tried to blend our music together, from time to time, although the Clarinet and the Saxophone pretty much drowned out the sound of my voice and my guitar. I was lucky to have had a brother who loved to sing and had a great (deep) voice. We would often sing together whenever we could, again, with me playing the guitar.

Fact of the matter is, I am not a terrific guitar player or even a trained one. I know enough chords, and enough of the basics of music to get by, and to just have a good time.

The music today was both a point of connection and a source of joy for my son and I. He and I both hope to “jam” again, sometime soon.

What surprises me most, although it is not surprising at all, is how much children absorb from the example set by their parents. I was strongly influenced by my own father, and I can see so many of my son’s interests and talents as having been my own passions, including love of language, enjoying being a teacher, wanting to live in an “antique” house, and really liking and appreciating material objects that are “pieces of the past.”

Right now, another folk song is brought to mind: “Teach Your Children Well.” We owe it to our children to bring them up with core values so that they will respect all living things, people, plants, and animals.

Tonight, I am feeling successful. I feel that I have provided a legacy for my only son, one that he can pass to his (recently born) son, and one that is a continuation of the values that my parents gave to me.

Love is forever.
Patricia

Whenever the word “quilt” is mentioned, it usually conjures up an immediate image for the listener. For the casual observer, quilting is something that was once done by a dear, departed auntie or grandmother. In today’s world, quilting is much, much more: it is a worldwide industry, growing daily, and worth billions of dollars.

If you are one of those people who thought that quilting was first done in Colonial America, with scraps of used clothing, then you have succumbed to just one of the many myths that surround the Art of Quilting.

There are many styles of quilting, the wholecloth style having been one of the first. Today, wholecloth quilts continue to be made. Mostly, they are quilted (the layers sewn together) by machine, by professional “long-arm” quilters. No, the quilters themselves do not have extra long arms. Those words apply to a type of sewing machine in which the head of the machine can run all over the surface of a quilt, rather than having to try to cram a bulky quilt under the small clearance area of a home sewing machine.

The Machine Quilters Expo, an annual quilt show, will be held at the Radisson Hotel (formerly the Center of New Hampshire) in Manchester, from April 11-14, 2007. This is always a chance to see gorgeous quilts from around the country.

Recently, a professional quilter won $100,000. for a wholecloth quilt that she made in about four months. You will be able to see photos of it in the $100,000. Quilt Challenge magazine, published by Reality Publishing. A “You Tube” videoclip is available at their website which shows the winner, and the editor of the magazine being interviewed on the Today Show in New York.

If you happened to have watched that interview, in real time, you might have been as shocked as I was when one of the hosts grabbed the quilt, not once, but twice, and flipped it back toward himself to reveal the men standing behind it, ready to catch the quilt, should the wind have blown it over, in the outdoor setting. An imagined collective gasp was heard from all of the quilters watching the segment.

You see, there is a certain expectation by quilters that their work be treated gently, with respect, and…with “white gloves.” There are even signs at quilt shows that show the classic quilt figure “Sunbonnet Sue,” in a line with others of her type, chained together, chain gang style. The sign above their heads says, “This is what happens to those who TOUCH the quilts.” The natural oils present on hands can permanently soil a quilt, if it is handled repeatedly without hands just having been washed, or without nitrile gloves, or white gloves.

Of course, not every quilt is worth even close to $100,000., but some quilts are worth far more. Baltimore Album Quilts have been known to sell well in excess of $200,000. because they are rare, and because they date from the 1850s era, and were so beautifully done.

There is so much to the history of quilting. I realize that my writings often stray into other areas, such as the social, psychological, history, art, and political arenas, but my heart truly lies with the inspiration I find in quilts, both old and new. To see an exceptionally well-done quilt makes my heart sing.

If you have not looked at my website’s files on wholecloth quilts (a worldwide overview), and Baltimore Album quilts from Baltimore, MD, there are numerous, long entries in both categories.
The website and the blog continue to grow exponentially. We hope that you enjoy your visit and that you will visit us again soon.

Patricia Cummings

http://www.quiltersmuse.com

Today, we are snowed in here in New England, with a snowstorm/potential blizzard happening “in our neck of the woods.” Twelve to twenty inches of snow are expected, with the wind kicking up a bit later. As long as we don’t lose electricity, I don’t care. I’m snowed in with good company, my Valentine.

St. Valentine’s Day is a special day for lovers, and it is a good time to show love to other special people in your life. I suppose any day is a good one for that.

Some of us married folks, got lucky the first time around with “love,” and we found a compatible person with whom we could spend the rest of our lives. Others of us, had to move on, but have been lucky to find a soulmate, the second time. Life is not perfect, and neither are human beings.

Today, if you are spending time with someone you love and who loves you in return, good for you. If you are alone but have the memory of having been loved, then remember that you are still special, even though your beloved may no longer be here to give you a hug, in person.

If you truly love someone, the person will always be in your heart, no matter how far the distance, or how permanent the isolation.

We wish you all happiness on this day set aside to acknowledge the meaning of love with a capital letter – “Love.” May you find peace, hope, and joy in every day of your life.

Blessings to you and yours,

Patricia and James Cummings