quiltersmuse.com Blog

For a moment, just for a moment, read the few lines below, out loud. Listen to the words and see the imagery. Poetry is meant to be spoken.

“Announced by all the trumpets of the sky,

Arrives the snow, and, driving o’er the fields,

Seems nowhere to alight:  the whited air

Hides hills and woods, the river and the heaven,

And veils the farm-house at the garden’s end.” – Emerson, “The Snow Storm”

We are hard-pressed to find the same kind of poetry that was written in the 19th century – the kind of poetry that gives us wings. I love to read the poems in old journals of the past two centuries. The poetry has a certain cadence and a definite meaning. It is not just a mumble-jumble of words, senselessly strung together, meaning nothing, or else, something so obscure that the message is known only to the writer.

“The sled and traveler stopped, the courier’s feet

Delayed, all friends shut out, the house mates sit

Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed

In a tumultuous privacy of Storm.” (same poem)

Imagery in poetry, as in quilting, is everything.
Patricia Cummings

If a statement is in print, or even in a letter, we tend to believe it, don’t we? Often, we don’t think beyond the obvious long enough to ask the question, “Is this really true?”

Lately, I have found many historical misstatements, some of them delivered with such energy and gusto, one would be led to think them the Gospel Truth. Now, I must say this:� some sources are better than others, but as our collective knowledge (cultural literacy, too) appears to be diminishing, across society as a whole, we have to be more careful than ever not to take� statements as true. They may not be.

I could go into a lengthy explanation, but for now, I’ll save you the lecture. I just want to alert you to take time to figure out when a statement is fact, or when it is opinion. Some writers cleverly confuse the two. I also want to say that if you read a first couple of sentences and they seem to be “ok,” don’t assume that the rest of the manuscript is “right on.”

Just a reminder:� During the first week of July, most subscribers to The Quilter magazine will be receiving their copies of the September 2008 issue. Newsstand copies will not be available until about July 15. You won’t want to miss my article about the amazing quilt charts of Ellen E. Webster. What a beautiful name:� Ellen Emeline! She may have been named “Ellen” for her Aunt Ellen, and “Emeline” for her grandmother.

After preparing the magazine article, I continued researching her life, her work, and her family. My work has uncovered MUCH intriguing information.

I thoroughly believe in presenting correct historical information, and my study brings to light some extremely interesting data and history. So, as you read the magazine, and see all the gorgeous photos there, keep in mind that as a follow-up, more information is being collected and processed, including significant and enjoyable contributions by other quilt historians, historians, family members, museum officials, and others. This has truly been a group effort! I appreciate everyone’s interest!

I continue to work daily on this e-book, all the while eagerly awaiting the reactions of readers (even if I never know their thoughts). So, in conclusion, I have to say that my most fervent hope is that you will be able to believe everything you read, when I write it. History is too precious to misrepresent. Of course, I also hope you will enjoy the magazine and the CD when they are ready. My gift will be in knowing that at least a few people are as inspired by Mrs. Webster as I am, and I hope that I’m underestimating that count.

Patricia Cummings

Ever since I was a little kid, I have really liked an outdoor plant called “Hens and Chickens.” Well, that was their name … to me. You can get a better view on the plant itself in the upper left corner of the photo above. You can also see the wonderful pink blossoms they have.

We wanted something to plant around an old tree stump. I said, “Ah, ha! Hens and Chickens would be great there.” Jim asked what I meant, and after I went to great lengths to describe the plant, he said, “Ah, you mean Semper virens.” Indeed, I had! So much for being married to a former Botany/Forestry major. He also knows everything in the world worth knowing, including information on some pretty obscure topics. This quality comes from a lifetime of reading.

I just wanted to share the lovely blooms of this plants. I had no idea that they would appear. I suppose as a succulent, they are in, or related to, the cactus family. Cacti bloom, so that would make sense. Just a wild guess on my part. All I know is that whatever these plants are called, I like them!

Have a great Thursday!

Patricia Cummings

Tomorrow, the Vermont Quilt Festival will officially begin, with classes. On Friday, doors open to the public to view the many extraordinary quilts entered into the show. Like a tall Sunflower, sprouted with just a seed but now reaching toward the sky, the sky does seem to be the limit for this show that began with an idea, sparked and nurtured by Richard Cleveland, a man whom I’ve heard called the “Father of the Vermont Quilt Festival.”

The show is an opportunity to see quilts made by beginners and experienced quilters alike. It is a time to run into old friends, and to meet people who, before now, have only been a “name” on an Internet screen. The show always promises to leave one with awe, inspiration, and new ideas, as well  as a renewed sense of optimism.

I hope that you will visit this wonderful venue that features quilts, quilters, some of the best teachers in the country, and vendors. The show is located at the (air-conditioned) Champlain Valley Exposition Center in Essex Jct., VT, just outside of Burlington. You’ll be so glad you went!

http://www.vqf.org/general_information.html

Patricia Cummings

A certain lecturer who talks about quilts tells me that she would not be without a Crazy Quilt and a Basket Quilt. That has me thinking. Why did she say “Basket Quilts?” Is it because they look elegant, set on point? Is there something quintessentially “country,” or American, that is represented by those kinds of quilts? We all like the expression, “Don’t put your eggs all in one basket?” Do we also like the various ways that Basket Quilts can be assembled?

In teaching, we can use the design to demonstrate appliquéd “handles,” and pieced bases. We can make the baskets with triangles or we can interweave bias strips for more of a Baltimore Album look. They can be as colorful as we’d like. We can add no handles at all. We can “fill” the basket, with a large flower, or leave it completely empty.

Of the many types of quilts available to represent America’s best efforts at quilting, my friend chose a “Basket Quilt.” I don’t own one, old or new. Perhaps, I should get busy and make one. How about you? I might even be sneaky and make a miniature basket quilt. Would that count? Only time will tell which I’ll decide to make. If you put together a new basket quilt, or have an “old” one that you’ve photographed, we’d love to see a photo.

Until next time,

Patricia Cummings, pat at quiltersmuse.com