Archive for January, 2009

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Censorship Hits the Quilt World

Saturday, January 31st, 2009

The news that a relatively new magazine titled, “Quilter’s Home,” has been banned from sale at all JoAnn Fabric Stores, across the country, came as a surprise yesterday. The magazine, released on January 27, 2009, is the brainchild of former television show producer, Mark Lipinski. Before discovering that his true calling was quilts and expressions of humor, Mark was a producer of the Oprah show.

In a statement published on the Quilt Art mailing list of about 3,300 active art quilters and lurkers, it was revealed that an article by Jake Finch, author of two quilting books, has caused quite a stir. Reportedly, Jake interviewed art quilters whose work is a little “on the edge.” The magazine was specially-wrapped in clear cellophane to prevent unsuspecting children from stumbling across the suggestive images contained therein. The quilts in question were previously vetted and displayed in art venues by the handful of art quilters in question.

Lipinski, through the words of Finch in a subsequent statement, is not calling for a boycott of JoAnn Fabrics. He believes the chain store is a vital part of the crafts industry, and he does not want to inconvenience his readers who might wish to avoid shopping there now, out of loyalty to him or the magazine.

Any publicity, whether good or bad, is still publicity. Everyone will now clamor to try to get a copy of this magazine, just to check it out for themselves. I don’t blame them. In fact, I made some phone calls yesterday, and no stores within a driving distance to me have the magazine yet. The issue in question is the March 2009 edition.

I guess it all depends on what anyone would call objectionable, but after seeing the previews of violent movies, I find violence to be far more obscene than any quilt that depicts the human body … unless the quilt is just totally done in bad taste and is crass and nasty. Since I have not seen the quilts in question, I will reserve any judgment, and am posting this to alert you, just in case you’re curious, too.

Either the art of quilting has reached a new high or a new low. It will be up to the readers to decide.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Posted in Announcements, Quilt Art, publications | Comments Off

Interesting Question from South African Quilt Judge AND Responses

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

Hi Pat,

I am a quilt judge in South Africa doing research on copyright, and I found your article re: the Dear Jane (quilt) very helpful.

Another aspect, besides selling a replica like that, is the matter of entry into a quilt competition. What would be your take on that? Should that be allowed? I get many questions here from quilters who gets annoyed if they buy a pattern and are not allowed to enter that quilt into a competition. And then, old patterns in public domain comes to mind …

Your response would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,

Trienie

Dear Trienie,

First of all, thanks for your note. The main question you seem to have is where it is ok to take a copyrighted pattern and enter a quilt made from it, into a quilt show. The Dear Jane quilt, if copyrighted to anyone, would have been solely and exclusively copyrighted to the person who originally made it, during the Civil War. The author of the book has merely copyrighted “her” instructions for replicating the quilt, an equally legitimate thing to do. In addition, she trademarked the name, “Dear Jane.”

To switch gears a little bit, for the life of me, I am not sure why some designers want to make patterns of their own devising, and sell those same patterns, putting restrictions on how that pattern can be used. Honestly, I have never seen a designer forbid anyone from entering competitions using their design, if credit is given. Perhaps, that is the crux of the matter, right there. EVERYONE, including me, and probably, including you, would like to get credit for what they know, what they do, and the knowledge they have gained via hard work.

The machine quilters who do quilting with a long arm machine have been demanding that their name be added to show entries, for a long time. Without their work, there would not be a finished quilt, and that seems reasonable that they get credit. But, where do we stop? Should we also credit every fabric manufacturer, for every fabric we have used. How about thread? How about batting? We could have a HUGE provenance label on the back of the quilt, giving credit to everyone, including the mother who birthed us!

As a judge, I would be very crestfallen, if I were to find a show where ten quilts of the same design, and the same coloration were hanging, each ready to be judged. This happens, mostly because a traveling teacher has just been to a guild within the previous year, and members think that their quilt will be the only finished one in the show. Is that wrong? If so, I believe that a statement to that effect should be included in the show’s rules.

I don’t mean to sound like a quilt snob, because I am not, but I value unique creativity. That is number one, with me. After that, comes fine and precise workmanship, whether the quilt was made by hand, or by machine. Does the finished piece hang evenly? Are the edges sturdy, and the edge finish appropriate to the piece? How is the scale? and the balance of elements? How well did the quilter do in piecing, or in appliqué, or hand quilting?

Does the quilt “sing” on its own, or does it have to be explained? A quilt show that represents beginning quilters is a far different venue than an international venue. Let me say this: in a sense, I “judged” an international show, insofar as I chose the quilts I liked the best, had my husband photograph them, and sent an article off in the mail, to be published in an international magazine. There are all sorts of judges, including your peers, and the people who pay to see a show.

That said, I believe that it is ok to copy teachers (designers) when someone is learning. It is equally ok to use traditional quilt patterns at any time. Try to make the design “your own.” In other words, if you see a traditional pattern in a book, and want to use the templates provided, try to think up an equally pleasing color palette as the one you provided in the publication. “Tradition with a twist” is a nice concept.

We all learn by emulating. We grow and expand our horizons by trying new techniques in quilting.

Take the time to look at the back of any pattern you purchase. If the wording seems unfriendly, leave it on the shelf. You wouldn’t want the quilt police coming after you, if you make six quilts from the same pattern and the designer says you can only make five. (By the way, who would want to make five or six quilts of the same design? Boring!) It seems to me that a few designers want the money they get from selling a pattern, but would prefer that you never used it to make anything! LOL

Copyright, or the “right to copy” has many people uptight, and in some cases, acting downright silly! If you, personally, make a quilt and you are afraid it might be copied, hide it in your closet or bury it. Women have copied from other women forever, maybe changing something about the quilt just a bit. Once a quilt is made, it is done. Move on! I should think it a compliment if someone thought a quilt I made to be so marvelous that they wanted to copy it.

However, here comes the rub. Designers would frown upon someone taking their design (their baby, as it were), and making prize money from it. After all, they have invested their time, and time is money. They have put a lot of their life into developing something really nice, and most would resent that situation.

What it comes down to is the type of show we are considering. Local shows tend to feature more work of beginners and possibly intermediate quilters, and in New England, at least, there tend to be many (grandmother/great grandmother) quilts, pulled from wherever they’ve been kept for years. I think that I prefer to attend quilt shows that are not judged! I suppose ribbons and prize money are important to some people, but apparently, not to me, as I never enter shows!

The whole issue of rights, these days, has become a contentious one. This has happened mainly because some people think that lawsuits are an easy way to make money, and/or to prove that their “rights” have been infringed. One would expect quilters to be “nice” people, but some are as ruthless and cut-throat as in any other “business,” particularly businesses that involve women.

Yes, I have lots of ideas on the subject because I am a thinking person who has little else to do, but to read, study, write, and when I am lucky, do needlework and quilt. Your questions will not be solved, or go away, soon. As a quilt judge, perhaps you can encourage the people in your area to be as spontaneously creative as they can be, and to learn the rudimentary elements of good quilting. Then, they can enter their quilts into a show, with pride, and for the right reasons: to inspire others, and to prove their own worth as quilters.

In the words of the song sung by folksinger, Bill Staines, “All God’s Critters Got A Place In The Choir.” Encourage beginners to enter shows. It is only through the judge’s comments that some will learn. While I would not be tempted to give top prize to a quilt that represents one of thousands of others, just the same, designed by the same designer, I would certainly enjoy seeing the (designer), quilt and as a judge, would provide some encouraging words. (We can always find something nice to say about any quilt!). You bring up some questions that are more complex than you realize. I hope that some of my ideas have helped. Good luck with all that you do, for, and with, the quilters of South Africa!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications
http://www.quiltersmuse.com/shelburne_farms.htm – a view of a show that I was asked to help judge and beautiful photos of Vermont!

Answer to Patricia’s response:

Pat,

I am thankful for your response and do appreciate that you took time to answer me. I enjoyed your blog very much!

I totally agree with your views, and I also realize that we cannot sort out all the “problems” that we encounter when judging or organizing a quilt show; it is an ongoing process.

We had our National Quilt Festival in September 2008. I was the Judging portfolio holder on the organizing committee. We had three of our best Judges working in a team at the show, and all three Jurors are also accredited Judges in our country.

Our South African Quilters Guild’s rules and regulations for National Festivals stipulate that replicas, quilts made from commercial patterns or kits, or quilts made in workshops under the watchful eye of a teacher are not to be entered.

We also have the “Dear Jane” frenzy here in South Africa, but according to our rules it cannot be entered in the judged competition. We had a separate section where we displayed about 15 of them, without judging them.

The quilt that won 1st prize in the Traditional Category was “inspired by…….” a quilt in Australian Patchwork magazine, the credit was given, but the judges have not seen the magazine. The quilt was actually awarded 2nd (prize), but the first quilt moved up to “Best of Show”, thus allowing this one to move up to 1st place.

Some quilters complained that the quilt was not original.

As part of my training for Judging, I did extensive research on copyright and how it affects quilters, therefore these questions get passed on to me!! I have tried to read as many as possible rules for competitions from other quilt shows (big and small) but find little to be said on this. Maybe our rules are too restrictive, and then I have to make a suggestion to SAQG regarding that, but I can only do it once I know where we stand in relation to other shows or quilt organizing bodies re: their rules and regulations.

One thing we will do in future is to ask for a picture of the “inspiration” of an entry if applicable (which immediately brings up things like quilters then having to photocopy a page from a magazine if the inspiration comes from a magazine!)

This all goes to show that the issue is complex, just like you say, and the problems will not go away. As someone who holds quilting dearly, and surely wants to encourage quilters, we also want to be fair to designers, and I have to keep looking for answers!

I am the guest speaker at the Outenique Quilters Guild next week, and have to address this issue. You have given me valuable input.

Thank you once again.

Trienie Krugel

Posted in Quilt Show, Reader Questions | Comments Off

Forwarded Letter to the Editor Packs a Firm Punch

Monday, January 26th, 2009

Editor’s Note: I feel that the sentiments expressed here by a housewife in New Brunswick, Canada are heartfelt and compelling enough to “pass on.” The information was forwarded to me by a Canadian/American friend.

Letter to the Editor:

Are we fighting a war on terror, or aren’t we? Was it, or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001, and have continually threatened to do so since?

Were people from all over the world not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan, across the Potomac from the nation’s capitol, and in a field in Pennsylvania?

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning, or crushing death that day, or didn’t they?

And I’m supposed to care that a few Taliban claimed to be tortured by a justice system of the nation they come from, and are fighting against, in a brutal insurgency?

I’ll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

I’ll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere belief in which is a crime punishable by beheading in Afghanistan.

I’ll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for hacking off Nick Berg’s head, while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.

I’ll care when the cowardly so-called ‘insurgents’ in Afghanistan come out and fight like men, instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.

I’ll care when the mindless zealots who blows themselves up, in search of nirvana, care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.

I’ll care when the Canadian media stops pretending that their freedom of speech on stories is more important than the lives of the soldiers on the ground, or their families waiting at home to hear about them, when something happens.

In the meantime, when I hear a story about a CANADIAN soldier roughing up an Insurgent terrorist to obtain information, know this:

I don’t care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head, when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank:

I don’t care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and ‘fed special’ food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being ‘mishandled,’ you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts:

I don’t care.

And oh, by the way, I’ve noticed that sometimes it’s spelled ‘Koran,’ and other times ‘Quran.’ Well, Jimmy Crack Corn, you guessed it,

I don’t care!!

And may I add?

Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. Soldiers don’t have that problem.

One last thought for the day:

Only five defining forces have ever offered to die for you:

1. Jesus Christ

2. The Canadian Soldier.

3. The British Soldier.

4. The U.S. Soldier, and

5. The Australian Soldier

One died for your soul, the other four for your freedom.

Thanks to Betty Cant for bringing this letter to our attention. The thoughts contained therein make it clear that at least this one Canadian lady is not forgetting those who suffered or died on September 11th. There was no mercy shown to people in the Twin Towers, or in the Pentagon, or in the field of Pennsylvania. They died, and had no choice in the matter. I am running this letter, as a responsible journalist who is happy to be reminded of those losses … lest we forget.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Posted in Letter to the Editor | Comments Off

Attain the Unattainable, and Be Happy Doing It

Sunday, January 25th, 2009

Hot air balloon photo taken by Jim Cummings

Expect the Unexpected and Soar to New Heights

As we go through life, we soon realize that it is not all clear sailing on a sunny day. Spouses may “cheat,” or may abandon you. Parents die. Even siblings or children may leave us, either because of unforeseen circumstances, or due to their indifference. Friends of convenience come and go. Nothing is certain and nothing, even the bad times, will last forever. Ultimately, one can only rely on oneself. With that thought firmly in place, it is always important to never give up on yourself. The world is full of “takers” and “users,” and sometimes, to a degree, that is ok, if you are a generous person and do not mind sharing and giving, for free!

The important point to remember is to not lose track of yourself when you are being bushwhacked and sidetracked by the issues of other people who often have their own agendas. In fact, show me a person without an agenda and I will show you a dog without fleas.

If you have a goal, stick to it, and do whatever you can to achieve that goal. If the prize is great, in terms of the final outcome of recognition or money, it will be much harder to achieve. Awards are earned, not given away (as used to be the motto of the master craftsman program in quilting of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America). High standards should not be compromised or certifications handed out loosely, because then, they are meaningless. At the same time, judges/committees should be fair-minded and supportive of those who are trying to achieve excellence in their field.

For nine long years, I worked to attain the title of master craftsman in quilting and I finally reached that goal in 2000. However, when I did, the only satisfaction was personal. There were no marching bands and no airplanes overhead with banners of congratulations. After all those years, the announcement came by e-mail, in a begrudging one word statement, “Pass.” It seemed as though the committee was ticked off that I had actually completed all the requirements, by jumping through hoops, and repeating two of the steps, waiting the required number of months to pass between submissions. The feedback for each submission consisted of one word sound bites of “ok” or “good” or “needs improvement.” There was no clear direction or help because it was not a “course”/ “It is a test.” At the top of the judges’ sheet were the three critical words with one of them circled: Pass, Provisional Pass, or Fail.

When I reached the sixth and last step of the program, I spent a year creating what I thought was a very unique and personal piece of work. Gleefully, I mailed it off to the judging site. I could call in after the judging to and hear whether the quilt passed, or not. A man answered on the other end of the line, and said, in his southern drawl, “Ma’am, that would be a “Not Pass.” I asked him to repeat what he’d said. Then, shaken and disappointed, I hung up the phone.

After regaining my confidence, which took quite a while, I figured out what I would make for the next submission. I was told, after that quilt was judged, that four people had stared at the quilt for three days, as it hung from a clothesline in the hot Texas sun. They determined that one of the block junctures was “one stitch” off from being perfect, and they really could not find a way to disqualify the entry.

So, after their pronouncement of “Pass,” I was then free to purchase the (expensive) pin that denotes master craftsman status, and was invited to attend an (expensive) convention, out of state, so that I could accept a red rose, in honor of my achievement. I was content, knowing that I had completed my goal, and learned so much more in the process, on my own, and not from anything anyone else had taught me about quilting.

Life is like that. You would not want a surgeon operating on you, if you knew that he or she had barely made it through medical school. Any kind of kudos one is able to garner, in life, have to be based on effort. Oh sure, some people skate by, and you will find a few incompetent nitwits in any field, and certainly, in life. In fact, lately, they seem to abound. You have to sidestep them constantly, but the important thing is to always remember who YOU are, and what goals YOU have set for yourself.

There are various certification programs offered by a number of organizations in quilt judging, quilt teaching, quilt appraiser training, etc. They all cost money, and they all take time, but once completed, they become part of your professional resumé, and in retrospect, they have helped you to grow and to stretch your knowledge base.

Keep up with the latest literature, like this book from the International Quilt Study Center:

Never say “no,” and never give up. Do what you have to do and show the world that you have the “right stuff.” We need achievers in this society of people whose credo is NOT, “good enough.” Achievers will lead and we need solid leaders who know what they are doing. My remarks could apply to any field of endeavor. We need less “know nothings” and “do nothings.” We need people who are happy because they are competent and sure that they can get the job done, no matter what, and no matter who, stands in their way.

“Don’t worry, be happy,” and be true to yourself. You’ll be glad you were.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Posted in Anecdotes, Quilts | Comments Off

Another Scam Alert in New Hampshire

Sunday, January 25th, 2009

Tonight, as I was peacefully reading a dissertation, pertinent to a topic I am studying, the phone, ringing, jarred me back to reality. My husband answered it, as he was closest to the phone, at the time, but the man on the other end asked for me. I couldn’t imagine who might be calling me at 7:45 at night, but I said, “Hello.” The caller identified himself as a Catholic priest, and at first I wondered who had died. He said that his “penance” was to make calls to try to sell a magazine named “St. Anthony’s Messenger.” “Father” told him to. Had I heard of this magazine? I said, “No.”

We chatted a bit, and the longer we talked, the more I became suspicious, especially when he called himself “not just another Bible-thumping Catholic.” That is a contradiction of terms! Catholics, historically, were told NOT to read the Bible. The priests would interpret it for them in sermons. So, little clues like that were adding up to a tip-off that this sweet-talking guy was misrepresenting who he was.

Finally, after having spent far too much time on the phone, with a hungry husband waiting to enjoy dinner with me, I asked if the Franciscan order the “priest” represented had an online presence. He said, “No, they don’t have that technology yet.” At the beginning of the conversation he told me that “Father” had found my name on the Internet. I am supposed to like fish, but this was a little fishy.

Not being able to take the time to argue any further, or rather, to keep reiterating that I did not want to spend $32., at this time, (or ever) to buy the magazine, I promptly said, “God Bless You. Good Bye.”

Now, here is where our Internet connection pays for itself. I discovered that I could buy this magazine online, and I also was able to look up the phone number of the person who just called. I dialed the number. No person, just an answering machine.

I can’t be 100% sure, but I would guess, off-hand, that I just had a personal encounter with a scammer. Beware of anyone calling from NH – (603) 621-1409 – who says that he is a Catholic priest. If you are foolish enough to answer the phone, please tell this dude to do his penance elsewhere. Will you do that, for me? Thanks.

Patricia Cummings

Posted in Announcements, Crime Alert | Comments Off

How to Stay in Business – if you own a quilt shop

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

After visiting a very pleasant quilt shop today, a one-woman operation, I began thinking about all the other quilt shops I have visited over the years. Some of them have employees that are so aloof, they look right through you. They disappear altogether, when you have a question as to where to find something. Some shops I have visited are run by whiners. There is always something to complain about, whether it is aging parents, illness in the family, or the fact that you have been the only person to show up all day, and it is late afternoon. (I wonder why?) Everyone has problems, and perhaps they are in your quilt shop to think about something creative, to take their minds off of those other issues.

One thing to keep in mind is that quilters are generally friendly people. When they go into a shop, they are on a mission, and that mission usually includes buying the fabric and tools to make something uniquely their own (just because they made it, they chose the fabrics, and they made the choices of construction methods, if not for some other reason – such as they made the original design).

Now, once in the shop, most quilters are not concentrating on the price of a fat quarter. They are serious. They want what they want and they usually have discretionary income with which to pay for their purchases. If they have to pinch pennies, they would be shopping elsewhere, paying less for less than high quality goods from businesses that handle liquidations, or fabric produced with substandard methods.

A quilt shop should have quilts hanging around … everywhere: quilts for classes that will be taught; quilts for sale; and antique quilts, just for inspiration. What is presented in the shop is one thing, however, perhaps the most important role of a quilt shop owner is to have enthusiasm for what she sells, and not to let the “selling part” interfere with her willingness to help a customer, or to maintain a joyful attitude toward quilting.

As a shop owner, do you LOVE quilting? If it is just another job, why not go to work for a company where you will get a steady paycheck and have no responsibilities other than doing your job. As a shop owner, it IS your job to inspire, instruct, keep up with the latest trends, maintain and expand your own skills and knowledge, in addition to keeping up with all of the business-end components of running the shop.

Many quilt shops in New England have gone out of business in the last year – 23 shops in all. I suppose that some of them blame the Internet with its easy accessibility, unlimited choices, and hassle-free shopping. I’d like to say that many of us would go to shops more often, if we had not run into unpleasant situations there, in the past. To go to a shop for a specific tool or ruler or pencil or whatever and be told by the owner that she is “plumb out,” and has no idea when she might ever place an order again, is not a satisfying experience. To visit a shop and have an owner pick your brains, if you are a quilt teacher, and then somehow manage to come up with a similar class to the one you’ve described AND offer it before the class date you’ve set, is not pleasant. I could go on and on and on, but the examples I’ve given are sufficient unto the cause.

To be a good teacher is to be willing to give your student abilities he or she did not possess before, and then, when like a baby bird who has been launched from a nest, the student surpasses even the teacher’s knowledge, that teacher should be happy, not jealous.

A book was once written that has a title - Do What You Love – The Money Will Follow.” I like the title.

If you are a quilt shop owner and you are not doing what you love, get out, while the going is good. Take up bungey-jumping, or white water rafting, or whatever hobby you consider to be a thrill. We need friendly quilt shops that carry adequate supplies and that have loving owners and staff who are willing to share their time and talents to promote the industry. My new favorite quilt shop in New Hampshire is “The Chestnut Quilter.”

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Posted in Quilt Shops in NH | Comments Off

Time was when …

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

Time was when … every home in New England had a spinning wheel. We can attribute the word “spinster” to that situation: a single woman who sat and spun wool into yarns, all day long. Many homes possessed a loom, but not every home. In Rhode Island, at the Slater Mill historic site in Pawtucket, a few years ago, we toured their representative home where a four point loom was set up. These looms are large, and houses were small. In fact, children did not have their own bed. They slept side by side, parallel to the top and bottom of the bed to conserve room, and to add body warmth to each other, in those days before central heating.

Time was when … children were exploited and made to work in unhealthy conditions in the factories, in mills such as the Slater Mill. With the windows nailed shut, and the door kept shut, to maintain a high humidity in the small mill, air borne cotton fibers found their way into lungs, causing consumption (TB), emphysema, pneumonia, and often, death. High humidity was kept so that cotton threads would not become brittle and snap, during the process of spinning the threads onto cones.

Time was when … one did not go to the store to buy new sneakers. A cow had to be slaughtered and the hide harvested and “tanned.” Shoes were custom made from the leather, sometimes by a father, or sometimes by a village cobbler. My mother, who worked at the International Shoe Company in Manchester, NH, (in the office, she always added), claimed to know good shoes and judged their quality by their “last.” The last is part of a shoe, and I really never inquired of her, during her lifetime, what she meant by “last.” I always thought it to be the inner support and general underpinnings. Maybe someday, I will become ambitious and try to find out the true meaning.

Time was when … and it was not so long ago, that when a person was sick, he or she was “bled” to rid the body of toxins. After awhile, physicians began to realize that patients died too often as a result of this practice, becoming weaker by the minute. In fact, during the nineteenth century, patients seems to have survived in spite of doctor care. There was no state of advanced medicine back then, and diseases that can be understood in this century, were a total enigma then.

From time to time, I like to think about the past. It is fun to think about how people lived. In our old house, there used to be a “root cellar” for storing garden produce like carrots, parsnips, potatoes, etc., during the long, cold winter. With a granite foundation, and no heat down there, it was an ideal location. Most of all, I like to think about quilting bees and barn raisings and other communal get togethers that ended in a banquet and a dance with fiddlers and such. It is fun to recall when communities came together for a common goal and a common sense of caring, something that we so often lack in society, today. Quilts represent so much, whether in the hands of the wealthy, and as products of the less-well-to-do. Begun as a pastime of the more well-heeled, traditionally, they are not the scrap craft art that is always mistakenly assigned to the women of Colonial History. That is a point that so many people and writers get wrong.

All for now,

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Posted in History, Musings, Quilting | Comments Off

Inaugural Day 2009

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

Today was a very special and joyous day for Americans. In a way, it represented an end to long years of struggle for Black Americans to be seen as capable and acceptable. With a willing spirit, millions of Americans and friends around the world have embraced the notion that Barack Obama will serve well in the office of president. We saw a sign today outside of a business in a small New Hampshire community. It said, simply, “God Bless the President.” That sentiment expresses what we are all feeling about now. We were ready for a change, and change has finally come. The new president is a deep-thinking, educated, no-nonsense kind of a man, a man whose eloquence was mocked, during the election, but who is unsurpassed in delivering great speeches and firing up the crowd to be on his side. Who could not trust him? If he referred to any notes during his speech today, that was not apparent.

Sense and sensibility have prevailed. Everyone is happy. However, the president knows better than anyone that he will have to work hard to retain the trust of the American people. In the end, talk is cheap, and action speaks louder than words.

As my astute husband pointed out, over breakfast, the companies who are laying off workers are short-sighted. When the economy turns around, as it must, and as it always has, those same companies will not have trained workers and will not be able to compete in the marketplace. In essence, they are shooting themselves in the foot.

As far as education goes, the state of California has issued a letter to all employees, including my nephew who is head of a department at a state university. They have all been given the word that, instead of a paycheck, they should expect to receive “I owe you” notes, in lieu of money. Unfortunately, paper notes do not pay the mortgage, or the groceries, or put gas in the car, but California is bankrupt.

I have no fears. Barack Obama has surrounded himself with intellectuals and proven thinkers, not people who have financial motives for securing family business interests, and that is refreshing. With so many people focused on “getting it right,” I strongly believe that the change we all desire will happen, and will happen, as soon as possible. It is very difficult to undo some of the mistakes that have been made, or to extract ourselves from foreign soil, since we are so enmeshed there. The road ahead is long and winding, but somehow, I do not believe that this president will lose his way.

Let me join the chorus in wishing the new president and his family the very best, and to the cynics, I say this, “Yes We Can,” remembering his words. Let his presidency truly be a “patchwork” of the American Dream.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

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In New Hampshire …

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Lupines and clouds This photo was taken in northern New Hampshire, where beauty abounds!

In New Hampshire … we are a proud and independent people. We do not take to being bossed around. We like to think our own thoughts. We like having the first in the nation primary election. We dislike people with money moving here from Massachusetts and elsewhere. Please visit and vacation, leave your travel dollars, and then, please go home!

We don’t like what Nashua has been turning into – namely, a suburb of Boston, and a haven for street gangs and crime (in parts of the city). We don’t like the violence on the streets of Manchester, including a police officer being shot down in the line of duty, within recent memory. We don’t like all the trees being cut down to allow for building housing, and we don’t like the high end, $400,000.00 condos like the ones that are plunked in what used to be a field to graze cows on, nearby. We don’t like our favorite restaurant going out of business so that yet another pharmacy could be built in its place.

In New Hampshire, we enjoy the sound of our own Yankee accent, and in fact, we like

    BEING

Yankees, with a mind of our own. We don’t cotton much to strangers, ’round these parts. We are insular. You are not a true Yankee until your family has lived here for many generations and is familiar with the word, “A-yup!”

In New Hampshire, we like our victuals – those hearty beef stews, those lobster feeds, and those barbecued ribs. We are suspicious of doctors, some of us with good reason. Our state university started out as a “cow college” for people to study agriculture (as one of my brothers did). Many of our old timers think that someone with an advanced degree is an “educated fool,” although, that is not the most current trend of thinking, probably due to the “newcomers’” arrival.

We like the seacoast with its Isles of Shoals, a perennial hangout for artists and poets in the nineteenth century. We keep the memory of the “Old Man of the Mountain,” a geological formation of rocks that resembled an old man in profile, until it fell. We enjoy the lakes and streams, and go smelt fishing on Great Bay in Portsmouth, a tricky situation with incoming and outgoing sea tides – but boy, are the smelts good!

If you don’t live in New Hampshire, eat your hearts out. If you do live here, then celebrate! Begin by celebrating our own: President Franklin Pierce, Sarah Josepha Hale, Robert Frost, Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon, Hans Reyes, (the creator of Curious George), Grace Metallious, J.D. Salinger, Joyce Maynard, Alan Shepard, Christa McAuliffe, Celia Thaxter, Faye Labanaris, Ellen Peters, Carol Doak, Gerald Roy (a recent transplant), the Shaw’s Brothers, Tommy Makem, Bill Staines, Daniel Webster, and Ellen Emeline Hardy Webster, as well as a host of others who made themselves known to the public by their contributions to creativity, music, quilt history, quilt teaching, quilt travel trips, space travel, or the written word.

The scenery of New Hampshire is so inspiring, as are the birds and wildlife, the change of seasons, the covered bridges, and the old men, whose favorite saying is, “Ain’t from ’round here, are ya?”

Please visit us in any season. We will be happy to welcome you to our ski lodges, our lakeside cabins, and our fine restaurants. If you are a quilter, there are lots of quilt shops in the state, including Keepsake Quilting. The Machine Quilters Expo is set up in April at the Center of New Hampshire on Elm St., in Manchester; and the International Quilt Festival, by the Mancuso Brothers, visits the state, at the same venue, once per year. We are quilters, and there are lots of little quilt shows and some larger local guild shows. Quilting is alive in New Hampshire, the “live free or die” state.

Where the Purple Lilacs Grow song

Patricia Cummings, quilter and quilt historian
Quilter’s Muse Publications

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Gearing up for Inaugural Events

Sunday, January 18th, 2009

In New England, we are in the midst of another snowstorm, with 4-8″ expected in my area. The rest of the country is gearing up for the Inaugural events that will take place on January 20, 2008 when our 44th president takes the oath of office. Security is high in and around Washington, D.C. and the plan is to keep evacuation routes readily available, should some untoward and unexpected activity happen. This morning, I heard from a band member whose band was chosen to play for the new president. How exciting is that? In fact, the word “excitement” does seem to be the appropriate word. Most of us are looking forward to a new start, in a new year, and with great expectations that this country can begin to turn itself around a bit.

So that people from outside the country can see the broadcast from CNN, that station is offering a sign-up event on Facebook, whereby the news feed with download to your computer wherever you are: in Canada, in the library, or with your laptop. This means that you don’t have to be sitting right next to a television to access the coverage. What a nice service. At last count, about a million and a half people had signed up for this service, that is by invitation only. The only requirement seems to be membership in Facebook which includes a free sign-up.

Whether I watch this event on the television or on Facebook, rest assured that I wouldn’t miss it.

We watch, and we wait, and we pray that all goes well. This is history in the making.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

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