Archive for June, 2009

« Older Entries

“Ode to a Toad”

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Background of the story:

When I was about five years old, my family moved to a brand new house that my father had ordered custom-built for us at the north end of Manchester, NH. The land around the house was not landscaped, when we arrived, and previously had been home to hundreds of toads. I decided to “collect them.” I asked my mother for a shoe box, something to hold water, and I set off to collect toads, turning over every rock, and capturing the unwitting little things. Of course, I had to find “bugs” to feed them, too.

Steve Grace at 7 years old

Steve Grace at 7 years old, the year I was born.

I thought I was doing a pretty good job. However, one morning, I woke up and found that my big brother, Steve, who was 7 years older than me, had let loose the toads. I called him a “meanie” and set up a ruckus. He explained to me that one should not keep living things in captivity because wild things want to be free. I understood then.

Ever since, I have been thrilled to see toads, including the ones that hopped across the country roads between Deerfield, NH and Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, on summer nights. I’d spot them while driving my young son and my mother to Nature Programs at the Science Center there. Toads are attracted to hot asphalt, I believe.

Last week, we attended three consecutive nightly meetings and came home after dark. When the automatic light went on by the back door, there was a medium size toad sitting there, as if waiting for us to come home. Inspired by this sight, I went upstairs, grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and was in the process of writing what I thought was a lovely poem. I had only finished the first two stanzas, when Jim came in the room, looking over my shoulder.

I said, “No!” Good poetry must be read aloud!

Here is my poem, never finished, because his advice after hearing the preliminary lines was, “Don’t give up your day job!”

Ode to a Toad

There once was a toad
outside my abode
He hopped in the lamplight
abiding.

His heart was on fire
to muck through the mire
to find “lady love” there
residing.

See, this was a stroke of true genius, but now, neither you nor I will know what happened to Mr. Toad! Did he find true love? Or, wander endlessly seeking it? I leave the situation for you to ponder.

Pat

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags:
Posted in Anecdotes, Just for Fun | Comments Off

Groton, NH Archivist Finds Links to Civil War Diary and Salem Witch Trials

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Louise Traunstein has spent years learning all of the history she could find about a little town in New Hampshire called Groton. The town is “off the beaten path” so to speak. At one time, the founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, lived just down the road from the building that now houses the Groton Historical Society, a building that Louise herself donated to the town, as a former resident there.

We appreciate the fact that Louise is a regular reader of this blog and enjoys all the information offered here. From time to time, she has some great details of her own to add, and sends me personal letters.

After having just listened to the song I recorded this week, “Tenting on the Old Camp Ground,” and after having discussed the Salem Witch Trials with me, on the phone, Mrs. Traunstein sent the following note.

She says, “Here is what I wrote (for the GHS newsletter) about the Civil War Diary, of which we have copies.”

Mrs. Geraldine Dearborn Gould Chase (now deceased) gifted us with two copies of a diary written by Valorus Dearborn, a member of Co. A,
2nd Regiment, Massachusetts Calvary, while he was in the Civil War. His diary was small enough to fit in his shirt pocket and was with him when he was wounded on Sept. 12, 1864. He died in a hospital at Opequan Creek, Virginia on the 13th.

The diary became the property of his brother, who gave it to his daughter, Edna Dearborn Gould, who then gave it to her daughter Geraldine. Geraldine had it copied and printed so it could be shared with family and friends. She did a great deal of research on it to verify the information. Edna Gould, her mother, was a teacher at School #4 (our Groton Historical Society Museum), circa 1930.

One of our members shares this information in her genealogical searches. She is the 14th generation descended from John Perkins, who came to MA from the town of Newent in Gloucestershire, England in 1631. His wife was Judith Gater. They had six children, one of whom was a daughter named Mary Perkins, born in 1620 in England. She came with the family to America.

In 1637 she married at Ipswich, MA to Thomas Bradbury and removed with him to Salisbury. Mary Perkins Bradbury was one of those unfortunate people who, in the dark days of witchcraft delusion, was among the accused. She was convicted, but through the efforts of her family and friends, her execution was delayed, the horrid delusion passed away, and she was discharged. The papers connected with her trial, as well as those of the others who were some of the more unfortunate, have been preserved and are to be seen in the files in the Clerk of Courts Office in Salem, MA.

These were the two cases I spoke to you about concerning the Civil War and the Salem Witch Trials that had a connection to descendants of Groton residents. History is amazing.

—
Thanks for this note, Louise. History is, indeed, amazing, and not the boring subject that I used to think it was while memorizing battle plans in school. Before recent times, the full thrust of the teaching of history seems to have been about men. Women were in the background, pro-creating, and engaging in their seemingly non-important womanly things, while the hunters/soldiers/politicians all had a “greater” agenda, supposedly.

We have come to know that the study of the accomplishments of women is a worthwhile undertaking. Women are at least half of the population and deserve to be recognized. I would go so far as to say that women, inherently, have some superior qualities to men, as witnessed in my last post, See the quoted statement by Kimberly Wulfert, Ph.D.

More than ever, now is the time to celebrate Womanhood! To do so is not any sort of male-bashing. Rather it is a celebration of the best qualities of both genders.
My book about Ellen Webster has generated quite a few comments about the Salem Witch Trials, due to her mention of a quilt that had been used on the bed of Sarah Goode, the first woman hung as a witch. Reader comments led me to watch a recommended movie, “Three Sovereigns for Sarah,” already mentioned in a previous blog post.

Have a terrific day! I’ll keep writing, if you’ll keep reading. How is that for a deal?

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications – our main website

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in History | Comments Off

Historical New Hampshire Magazine Offers Up Intriguing 18th century story

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

The year was 1768. Ruth Blay’s lips were sealed as to the paternity of her “Bastard child,” found dead under the floorboards of a barn. After being presumed guilty of murdering the babe, she was hung, one of only three women to have met such a fate in the state of New Hampshire. Her remains lay buried today in an unmarked grave.

Carolyn Marvin, a librarian at the Portsmouth Athenaeum, is the researcher and writer of this story. She shows exemplary scholarship in the re-creation of the details of the times (240 years ago), its societal sentiments, and the parameters of Ruth’s own life that led her to be sent to the gallows, protesting her innocence.

All the more captivating is the fact that a piece of wholecloth quilt is believed to have been made into a coverlet by Ruth for the use of her baby. In England, this act of laying up linens for the expected child would have prevented her from meeting the seemingly unwarranted death sentence for murder.

“It appears to have been quilted originally in the mid-1700s as a petticoat and later cut and re-seamed to serve as a coverlet.” (page 17).

Jane Nylander, textile specialist, book writer, and NHHS board member, helped to date and identify the textile in question. You will want to read the whole story!

This publication, which is sent out twice per year, is only one of the reasons why I enjoy being a member of the New Hampshire Historical Society. Other benefits include unlimited free admission to the Museum of NH History; free use of the Society’s library that holds extensive resources for genealogical research, and more; a 15% discount on all museum store purchases with a wide variety of products from which to choose; a quarterly newsletter; membership in the Time Travelers network, with free or reduced admission to more than 150 museums or historic sites, nationwide; invitations to programs; discounts or free admission to lectures and programs; and more.

This story about Ruth Blay was absolutely riveting. It has gripped my attention more than any other article ever published in Historical New Hampshire. Shown is the extant textile in question. True quilt scholars will want to see this article. Why not think about joining the New Hampshire Historical Society, most especially if you live in the area? Now is the time that museums need all the help we can give. I would say that the dollars spent in membership are well worth it. Let’s support these hard-working souls. As usual, another great job of editing was done by Donna-Belle Garvin.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Anecdotes, History, New Hampshire | Comments Off

The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

Hmong Christmas ornament

Many Hmong have converted to Christianity. This is a Hmong-made Christmas ornament, collection of Patricia Cummings.

I have just finished reading, The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang. While I enjoyed reading about Kao’s family’s experiences in America, I particularly appreciated the heartfelt sentiment of the last chapter. It describes, in great detail, her grandmother’s death and all of the traditional rituals associated with it. Her grandmother had already known over 250 grandchildren before she passed on (from a direct quote of the grandmother on page 259).

An excerpt:

My father and my uncles, Hmong sons, had asked for a man who was well taught in Hmong traditions to preside over the funeral. He had brought with him a selection of men, each specializing in a different part of the ceremony: the dressing of the body; the guiding of the soul to the next life; the beating of the drum of the dead; the playing of the qeej, a huge bamboo instrument played by men that carried the heart’s wishes for happy wedding, bountiful new years, and words to the dead. The man who would teach Grandma’s soul the way back to the place where she was born started chanting …

Hmong life in America is the another chapter in the history of a people who never had a real place to be. They were persecuted in China for centuries and were driven into the mountains where they learned to subsist by farming, using slash and burn methods, and moving about every ten years. I have found the study of the Hmong people, their rituals, their beliefs, their industry with the needle, and so many other parts of their culture, to be a moving (no pun intended) part of World History.

I hope that some of you will get a chance to pick up a copy of The Quilter magazine in July (it will have a September cover date). That issue has the 66th article I have written for a column called, “Pieces of the Past,” ongoing since 1999. It is the 2nd part of a two part series about the Hmong people and their textiles.

Even though those two Hmong articles are “put to bed,” I have continued my studies of the Hmong, and the book I just finished still leaves a pile more for me to read. I try to provide links to amazon for books that I like, and/or have in my own personal library. I will do the same this time. I love learning about other cultures! Today, I received a book about Australian Quilt History that is not available in this country. I have been waiting since the beginning of May for it, so it is most welcome. There has been a lot of quilting in the Land Down Under, something else to explore!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: ,
Posted in Books, History, Hmong | Comments Off

Another “Aunt Jemima” Quilt

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

Within a day of posting information about the “Aunt Jemima” quilt shown on this blog a few days ago, I received word from several individuals about the “Aunt Jemima” quilt owned by the Chicago Institute of Art and made in the 1940s.

My description of the quilt is as follows:

“Aunt Jemima” is wearing a yellow bandanna and is smiling. The print fabric, which may be Feedsack cloth, repeats over the surface of the quilt. This quilt has more images of “Aunt Jemima” than the one previously shown.

The quilt blocks are set on point. The alternate blocks are “Nine Patch” units that are offered in polychromatic hues for a scrap bag effect. They appear to be mostly cotton print fabrics, or squares that “read” as solids, from a distance, although there may be some monochromatic surface designs, upon closer inspection.

Filling triangles, in solid Red, grace the perimeter to create straight edges for the center portion of the quilt. On the top and bottom edges, a border of the same Red color has been added before the quilter “framed the quilt” with a narrow White border and then added the final touch of a Black border.

This quilt appears to be heavily-quilted with purposeful lines that clearly would have taken the quilter a long time to (hand?) quilt.

The quilt has been on exhibit, and is published in Recycled and Re-Seen: Folk Art from the Global Scrap Heap, Charlene Cerny and Suzanne Seriff, editors, (New York: Harry N. Abrams. Inc. 1996).

Object information as to type of weaves in the fabrics used is available at the Chicago Art Institute’s website.

Thank you to those who brought this quilt to my attention. The quilt was the gift of Shelly Zegart.

Patricia Cummings, quilt historian, independent scholar, and member of the American Quilt Study Group

Tags: ,
Posted in Quilt History, Research, Scholarship | Comments Off

2009 World Quilt Competition XIII

Friday, June 26th, 2009

The Mancuso Brothers have sent through the following notice:

The international entries are in and juried. This year’s World Quilt Competition international entries have surpassed our expectations with the number of entries exceeding last year’s count. In addition, we are excited to announce the participation for the first time of quilters from IRELAND. We think you will be delighted to see their efforts.

We are also thrilled that U.S. entries are up from 2009. The entry deadline for U.S. entries has passed; these entries are currently being juried. If you entered, jury results will be mailed by July 8, 2009.

All of this will make for a SPECTACULAR 2009 World Quilt Competition.

The 2009 World Quilt Competition XIII will first be shown at the World Quilt Show – New England.

World Quilt Show – New England

Premier of the 2009 World Quilt Competition XIII

August 13-16, 2009

Manchester, New Hampshire (Radisson Hotel/Center of New Hampshire on Elm Street)

Workshop & Lecture Pre-Registration is OPEN

—

Also, all international entries and selected U.S. winners of the 2009 World Quilt Competition XIII will tour to:

Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza XVI

Returning home to the Greater Philadelphia Area

September 17-20, 2009

Oaks (Valley Forge Area), Pennsylvania

—

Pacific International Quilt Festival XVIII

October 15-18, 2009

Santa Clara (Bay Area), California

—

World Quilt Show – Florida

Featuring the Grand Finale of the 2009 World Quilt Competition XIII

November 13-15, 2009 (Workshops start Nov. 12)

Palm Beach County Convention Center

West Palm Beach, Florida

We are thrilled that this show is coming to Manchester, New Hampshire again this year. We reviewed the show an article in The Quilter magazine (published in May 2007), and had a great time seeing quilts from all over the world, and the level of expertise exhibited. It was fun to choose our favorite quilts and write descriptive analyses of why we liked them. This is a great show. Mark your calendars, now!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Announcements, Quilt Show | Comments Off

NH Humanities Council Series Features Eric Bye, Musician

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

Tonight, I learned more about banjos than I would have ever considered possible. Eric Bye of Vermont presented a program about 19th century music, with a focus on banjos. An amazing fact is that later in that century, banjos were made in such a way as to simulate other instruments, and there was the phenomena of “banjo orchestras,” with one banjo sounding like a piccolo; another (called a banjatar) had six strings, like a guitar, etc.; and all banjos were made in different sizes. The banjo went from having four strings to having five strings, over time.

Eric played a minstrel tune called “Circus Jig” to start off the program. With only one song, did he accompany himself with voice, although he has a very pleasant voice! He gave a wonderful overview of banjo music throughout the nineteenth century, and used two banjos, including one that he made himself, throughout the concert. The humidity was affecting his banjos a great deal and causing them to be out of tune, so he would stop and re-tune them.

Eric Bye

Eric Bye, playing the banjo in Bristol, New Hampshire on June 25, 2009

One cannot fully appreciate American music without knowing what was happening at the time. Eric Bye filled in a lot of historical details. He remarked about the number of songs that came out of the Civil War period. He played a song from that era called, “Tenting on the Old Camp Ground,” on a boombox that he’d brought with him. The song, for which the New Hampshire Historical Society possesses an original copy of the sheet music, as seen in a recent exhibit, was written by Walter Kittredge, a New Hampshire resident. The sentimental tune was made famous by the Hutchinson Family Singers of Milford, NH. A live rendition of the song was shared by Steve Blunt, a presenter in this lecture series, whom we had the pleasure to hear a few weeks ago, and about whom we also wrote a blog entry.

The banjo and the fiddle once were considered “the devil’s instruments.” The banjo was mainly used by African-Americans on the plantation before being taken over as a preferred instrument of minstrel shows. The presenter explained that by the end of the century, and beyond, mainly people with money were playing the banjo, quite a transition.

This combination history lesson and concert was fascinating. I will say no more so as not to “give away” the whole program. Suffice it to say that it is understandable why Eric Bye has been invited back to give his presentations since 1990 in Vermont for their Humanities Council programs, and for the last five years in New Hampshire. In his real life work, he is a linguist/translator who is fluent in French, Spanish, and German. He has translated more than 100 books, primarily non-fiction and scientific titles. It appears that he brings a passion to his work and to his “play.”

We certainly enjoyed every part of tonight, except the heat and humidity over which no one had any control. This has been a fun week. We have gone to three of these programs on consecutive nights, and in diverse parts of the state of New Hampshire. We are blessed to live in the Granite State (“where the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and the children are above-average!”). Even though we are pretty selective, we do let Vermonters visit us, now and again!

Thanks to the organizations in Bristol, and the NH Humanities Council, for sponsoring this event. Most of all, thanks to Eric Bye for a wonderful program!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Civil War, History, Music | Comments Off

Reader Seeks Help in Identifying Date of Quilt

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

This week, I received the following note from a reader:

I’ve recently acquired a quilt I hope you can help me to date. Every other block is an Aunt Jemima pancake flour sack. The alternating blocks are of a solid color with a wreath design sewn it. Some of the designs are a bit lopsided. The stitches are small and neat and are done in red thread. The quilt came from an estate sale in East Texas. I’ve done some research and gather that sack material has a long history going up to the 1950s. This quilt is unusual enough that I am thinking of donating it to a museum in San Antonio that I believe still maintains a collection of Folk Art needlework. I’d be happy to provide a picture, if you are interested.

Of course we were interested in seeing a photo.

reader photo

The feedsack quilt, in question.

My response:

I have never seen this design before. It is curious that there are so many identical flour sack pieces. The person who made this must have collected the sacks for a long time, or had a large family to use that amount of flour!

The “Aunt Jemima” image was rooted in minstrel shows, first appearing in 1875. She is, of course, yet another manifestation of a caricature that depicts someone who is African-American. Some people might interpret these quilt images as “benign,” but others would be angry in seeing this and call it an example of stereotyping and bigotry. There is no way to know what was in the mind of the original quiltmaker, nor if she was Black, herself. No matter how anyone views it, you are right, it is a piece of American folk art and one well-worth preserving. A museum placement seems appropriate. This is a very special item.

I would suggest that you donate it to the Jim Crow Museum on the campus of Ferris State University. Dr. David Pilgrim, professor of Sociology, has collected more than 5,000 artifacts related to Black Memorabilia, Culture, and Discrimination.

You can hear a talk by Dr. Pilgrim on YouTube.

The evolution of the Aunt Jemima image and use in selling various products is a fascinating story. A full account can be found in the following book:

If anyone has direct information about this feedsack cloth, please write to me at: pat@quiltersmuse.com
Thanks.

Additional links of interest:

Mammy Quilts and Black Memorabilia

Collectible Feedsack Cloth: The Past Revisited

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: ,
Posted in Quilt Discoveries | Comments Off

Wonderful Lecture on the History of Early Photographs Presented by Martin Fox, Ph.D.

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

Martin Fox, professor of Art History at the New Hampshire Institute of Art, captivated a small but very interested group of listeners last night with his descriptions of the origins of Photography. With projected images to illustrate the roots of the technique, Fox highlighted the people who first used the simple principle that light travels along straight lines and can be used to project images on a wall, albeit upside down. He showed how a portable camera obscura, an antecedent of the modern camera, may have influenced the Dutch artist, Jan Vermeer, in “Young Woman with a Water Jug,” a painting with photographic qualities, rendered circa 1660-1662.

Throughout the 19th century, chemistry played a large role in developing various ways of printing images. Louis Daguerre, father of the Daguerrotype, is a pivotal figure in the History of Photography. In exchange for a lifelong pension, he allowed France to share his methods with the world. Daguerrotypes are usually small, 2 or 3″ big, and no larger than 8 or 9 inches. They are saved under glass to prevent fading, and most often have an elaborate copper frame. These are highly-collectible today, and some have been known to sell for $100,000. Each is a one-of-a-kind object.

Due to Daguerre’s processes being freely-shared, work with Daguerrotype images was more common than the Calotype processes of William Henry Fox Talbot who produced “Calotypes,” but also patented his method, making them more exclusive.

We were treated to a view of the first man whose ever photo was taken, inadvertently, as he stood in one spot for a long time on the streets of Paris, getting a shoe shine. He was there long enough for the photo process to work. Early picture-taking often took 5 to 15 minutes.

This is a simple overview. There is much more to the lecture and the topic, of course! We, obviously, have a great deal of interest in photography, as did the people who attended the talk. I was very surprised to see a photo image of Annie Fields, a woman who was Sarah Orne Jewett’s intimate associate for 30 years. She, too, was very beautiful! Just last week, I had just written about Sarah Orne Jewett and her residence in Maine, in a blog post.

This presentation by Martin Fox covers the many nineteenth century methods of translating images onto paper, as well as the relationship between good composition in both art and photography. We highly recommend this lecture that was presented in collaboration with the New Hampshire Humanities Council lecture series. As always, we welcome every opportunity to learn. Many thanks to the library in Greenland, New Hampshire for co-sponsoring this event.

One of the nicest books about photography in our collection is called, Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans & Fashion, 1840-1900 by Joan Severa.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Cultural Events, History, Old Photos | Comments Off

“Two Old Friends” Provide Concert at Chatham, New Hampshire

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

Tonight we attended a concert in Chatham, New Hampshire, pronounced “Chat-ham,” if you please. The featured artists were Mac McHale and Emery Hutchins. For the past five years the duo has produced programs for the New Hampshire Humanities Council series. They have been friends for 33 years, and musical partners for 31 years. There is no shortage of talent between them. Each plays a variety of instruments from guitar and octave mandolin to concertina, banjo and an Irish drum (a bodhran).

Mac McHale and Emery Hutchins

Emery Hutchins and Mac McHale on June 23, 2009 in the Meetinghouse at Chatham, NH for a night of “Irish Music.”

From Irish jigs, reels and ballads, the musicians departed to the genres of Bluegrass, Jazz, a little bit of Gospel, and American Folk Music. Their goal is “to demonstrate how American music is an amalgamation of musical styles,” as stated inside their CD cover, “Road to Bangor.”

The audience was engaged by being asked to clap on cue, sing along, or even holler out “yee-haw,” if the urge struck. This was no straight-laced program, although it was educational. Each song was introduced with a little bit of background as to who wrote it, made it famous, or from whence it came.

I guess I must have had too many pre-conceived notions about what tonight’s music would be. The only song I recognized as Irish, (and I am of Irish descent), was “Wild Rover.” The two men performed with the Clancy Brothers for 15 years, and many more Irish tunes appear on the two CDs we purchased. Other CD titles are available. The two have been prolific in learning traditional songs and writing some of their own. They have a web presence where their music CDs can be ordered.

Memorable songs played by Mac and Emery tonight were “Stewball,” “Blackbirds and Thrushes,” “No Vacancy,” “Just Because,” “Pistol-Packing Mama,” and an instrumental finale of the “Orange Blossom Special.” Of course, many other songs were played as well, including one request for “Rockin’ Alone in an Old Rocking Chair.”

On the long way home, we listened to the two of their CDs. I enjoyed hearing songs I’d heard in my childhood like, “Whiskey in the Jar,” “Brennan on the Moor,” and “Mountain Tea,” favorites of Burl Ives. Besides the one mentioned already, the other CD we had purchased is called, “Two Old Friends: Reunion.”

There is a single-spaced, two page list of scheduled engagements where these fine musicians will be playing in Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire, and they have bookings until September 2010.

The meeting was opened with announcements from the vice-president of the Chatham Historical Society who also led the group in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. The Historical Society, co-sponsor of this event, has a building that is open to the public every Wednesday from 1-4:30 p.m. this summer.

The townspeople were friendly and served home-baked goodies and tropical punch as a treat, after the concert. We had never been to the town with a population of 260 people. of which 30 were present at this event. To reach the town, we had to drive to N. Conway and then up to Fryeburg, Maine, and then travel the winding back country roads of Rte. 113, past many potato farms, cemeteries, and a few churches. Eventually, we circled back into New Hampshire. There is no direct route to this town and if weren’t for this concert, we would have had no reason to go there!

Jim and I were certainly happy that we went out of our way to attend this event, and we recommend these performers for their good-natured kidding of each other, their stories, and their music. They quipped that the Meetinghouse is one of the few places they have ever played that has both an outhouse and a fax machine!

This presentation is another winner in the New Hampshire Humanities Council series, the sixth program we have attended this summer. This evening was a real treat. Thanks to all who were a part of its planning.

SCENES AROUND TOWN

potato farm in Chatham, NH

Small potato farm in Chatham

Congregational Church in Chatham, NH

Church across the street from the Meetinghouse

cemetery in Chatham, NH

Cemetery in Chatham, NH

All photos courtesy of James Cummings.

See a man playing a bodhran on You Tube.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Music | Comments Off

“Three Sovereigns for Sarah”

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

“Three Sovereigns for Sarah” is a movie that depicts the true story of what happened in Salem, Massachusetts in the seventeenth century when little girls began act in strange ways and claimed to be possessed by the spirits of witches who lived in Salem Village and beyond its boundaries. This was a witch hunt of the highest magnitude. Women were stripped and searched for signs of witch marks on their bodies. Any mole could be considered a sign that someone had connections with the devil himself.

All of the trouble started when a handful of girls, whose imaginations were fawned by a West Indies slave called Tituba, began seeing the specter of witches who did terrible things to them, biting them and drawing blood, at times. Of the accused, the first witch hanged was Sarah Goode, a homeless, destitute woman with a four year old daughter, and a child who died at birth, after she’d spent time in a crowded, dirty, one room (barn-like) jail.

When all was said and done, nineteen innocent, Christian women were hanged from a gallows tree, and one man, who refused to enter either a plea of guilty or not-guilty, was crushed to death with stones.

This movie revolved around the story of another accused witch named “Sarah.” She was unable to save her two sisters from execution, but, in the end, she herself lived at least long enough to convince the authorities that a terrible deed had been done.

Ellen Webster CD cover

cover of Ellen Webster CD

Since writing about Mrs. Ellen Webster’s reference to a quilt pattern that was on the bed of Sarah Goode, the first woman hanged for witchcraft, I have been more interested than ever in the Salem Witch Trials. The quilt design and my conclusions about it are presented in the CD e-book, Ellen Emeline Hardy Webster (1867-1950): Her Amazing “Quilt Charts,” Her Writings, and Her Life by Patricia and James Cummings, (Concord, NH: Quilter’s Muse Publications, 2008). Copies of this 355 page publication with 340 photos is available from our Products Available page.

I found this following link on amazon, in case anyone would like to see this bit of Salem History. Prepare to be both riveted and repelled by this very graphic film. Just remember that this story actually did take place, and it represents misguided religious fanaticism, at its worst.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Postnote: Christine Fisher Thiessen has told us this, “Sarah Towne-Cloyce, the “Sarah” depicted in “Three Sovereigns for Sarah” was my husband’s 9th great grandmother. She successfully sued the State of Massachusetts for the wrongful deaths of her two sisters and her own imprisonment. She was awarded “three gold sovereigns” one each for her two sisters’ wrongful deaths and one for her own false imprisonment.”

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Movies | Comments Off

Molas

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

Ever since a friend who was leaving the area gave me a framed mola, I have been interested in knowing about them and the people who make them. They are an unusual textile that many people confuse with Hmong embroidery. Anthropologists suspect that long ago, the Kuna Indians and the Hmong people were connected.

Green geometric mola
The Kuna Indians are known for their geometric configurations and this one is outstanding with its brilliant green fabrics! This one is for sale: eBay #380001096616. All cotton cloth is brought to the islands where they live.

I have updated the Mola file on our website today, adding some beautiful photos, links, and additional resources. Yes, my interest is ongoing in any subject I peruse with initial research. I love to learn and I like to pass on what I have learned to you!

This is just a brief announcement. “A History of Molas” file is long and full of wonderful new images, courtesy of a friend. If you are looking for me, you might just find me in Panama!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: ,
Posted in Needlework, World Textiles | Comments Off

Public Television

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

When I was a young teenager, the television happened to be on, when I noticed that an instructional program was about to be shown to teach how to play “Folk Guitar.” I ran upstairs to find my brother’s guitar that he had always intended to learn to play.

The series was only a few lessons, but I learned the names of the guitar strings, basic chords, how to strum in different ways, and how to do runs, along with a little bit about reading music. I ordered the instructional booklets so that I could keep the information and the words to the songs demonstrated. I still have two or three but lost one or two, having loaned them to someone else.

The series was created by Laura Weber and Virginia Duncan in 1966. At the time, this video series was cutting edge technology, and was recorded long before the first how-to-videos for quilting were ever done. I would call this a pioneer program and have never seen anything like it since! While I have sometimes said that I received virtually no formal musical training, actually I learned a lot through this free, educational folk guitar series. Of course, I also learned a lot as a member of the Glee Club in high school!

There is a lot to be said for sharing information freely. Apparently, Jim and I believe in that theory as you will notice, if you view our website. Information is the best resource known to man. Often, it helps to guide our ways, or inspires us to new levels of creativity.

I am a strong believer in public television. One can count on the stations for unbiased presentation of material. When my son was small, he devoured every episode of Sesame Street. When he was grown-up, he enjoyed “Pride and Prejudice,” and other Jane Austen movies. There have been wonderful and enriching musical programs from “Celtic Woman,” to “Andrea Boccelli,” (my personal favorite).

Whether you like music, drama, quality programs for kids, or just want to learn to cook, turn to Public Television. In these hard economic times, think about sending them a few dollars of support. You will feel good about that, knowing that every dollar is used wisely and helps them to continue in their educational mission.

The local call letters for public television are WGBH in Boston, and New Hampshire Public Television, NHPTV. Please be generous.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Music, Worthwhile Websites | Comments Off

New Hampshire and the Area: Tourist Suggestions

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

NH turkey

In New Hampshire, wild turkeys are part of the landscape! photo by James Cummings

Maybe you are the type who likes to shop until you drop. If so, the outlet stores of North Conway, New Hampshire, and Kittery, Maine await you. Perhaps you love antiques. North Conway has a nice historical society building to visit, if it happens to be open while you are there.

There are small shops scattered all over the state, from Nashua to Keene, from Northwood’s Rt. 4′s, “Antiques Alley,” to Salem and other places. Keep in mind that some places have closed recently, or are undergoing a makeover. If you have had a favorite in the past, perhaps a call ahead will avoid disappointment, if the economy has driven the shop out of business.

Exeter is a fun place to visit. There is a great Chinese restaurant not too far from the American Independence Museum. Both are always fun to visit. Downtown Exeter has a few small shops and is a pleasant place. Up the hill from downtown sits the prestigious school, Phillip’s Exeter Academy, a high school preparatory school, similar to St. Paul’s School in Concord, where only the cream of the crop are admitted, those who are the sons and daughters of the well-heeled of society.

The New Hampshire Humanities Lecture Series is free to the public and historical/musical programs are presented on week nights and weekends, alike. These presentations are unequaled in content and diversity of any series I have ever attended.

The New Hampshire Historical Society/ Museum of New Hampshire History in Concord has set up an enjoyable exhibit called “America’s Kitchens.” While you are there, be sure to visit the permanent exhibit on another floor, and the gift shop. There are plenty of gifts from which to choose, but you will be tempted to gift yourself with an array of books, handmade soaps, bobble-head dolls of figures in New Hampshire history like Franklin Pierce, Sarah Josepha Hale, and one of the latest, “Chinook,” a sled dog from New Hampshire who went to the Antarctic. Downtown Concord, New Hampshire is home to three quilt shops, and a N.H. League of Craftsman store that sells fine crafts by juried members. On North Main St., the League of Craftsman Gallery features exhibits of local N.H. artists.

ducks in the Merrimack River

Here you see ducks playing in the sun, in the Merrimack River. The male Mallard is the most brilliant, his green head reflecting the sun. One of the females is upside down, fishing.

Of course, not too far away, on the Concord campus of the New Hampshire Technical Institute is the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium, that has a new addition this year. In downtown Concord, one may tour the New Hampshire State House, and enjoy the statues on its lawn. Simply walking around downtown Concord will yield some wonderful architectural details, if you enjoy seeing old buildings. At the Historical Society building on Park Street, there is a Lincoln exhibit, at the moment. Ask about their Lincoln program scheduled for the evening of July 16.

Sculptured Rocks in Groton

This natural site in Groton, NH is perfect for hiking. Swim at your own risk. The brisk Cockermouth River’s mill wheels ran three mills in the nineteenth century.

Turning to the out-of-doors, there are plenty of opportunities for hiking, especially in the White Mountains, a much beloved area that artists have painted, through the centuries. There are natural rock formations such as “The Basin” and “Indian Head.” Of course, our famous landmark, “The Old Man of the Mountain” is no more, except in photos, old postcards, and in song. Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown is a great place for re-creation if you like swimming, hiking, archery, and picnics. The Park can accommodate large groups in a special group area, making it ideal for family reunions.

If you like the beach, there is no shortage of them here, both lakeside or oceanside. New Hampshire is a small state and one can drive from one end to the other or one side to the other, within a day or less. There are many more sites of interest to visit than could possibly be covered in this short overview!

York Beach, Maine, not far from New Hampshire’s border is a favorite destination. You can see salt water taffy being made, through the window of a candy shop. The beaches are clean, and there are many, little shops for picking up gifts and souvenirs. There is a lighthouse at York that is much photographed, and no longer in use as a working lighthouse where people actually live.

Both Greyhound dog racing and Nascar car racing occur in Belmont. If you are the more quiet, reflective type, you might enjoy visiting one of the 36 small cemeteries in that small town. In the same general area, Tilton has outlet malls and the Tilt’n Dinner that has a 1950s atmosphere with music from the era, noise, and down home cookin’.

Manchester is home to the Currier Art Museum, an upscale art museum that was closed for renovations for awhile and has reopened, bigger and better than ever. It is always a fun place to visit. Check their website for programs offered to all ages. If you would like to begin to understand the role of textiles and the mills in making Manchester the city it is today, population-wise and otherwise, then visit the Millyard Museum. Exhibits about the first Indian/ Native Americans are part of the permanent installation.

Nearby is the S.E.E. (Science) Museum, with its reproduction of the Amoskeag Mill layout built in Legos, was constructed with millions of pieces, and many volunteer hands. Interactive science displays for children abound there. Nashua has a nice children’s museum.

Newington, on the seacoast, has the best Mexican restaurant around, called Ixtapa. Well worth the trip! Major chain stores are the anchors of two or three large plazas in Newington, home of Country Curtains, a popular mail-order place that has a walk-in shop with high-end goods. From Newington, the highway to Maine is easily accessible, as well as the road to Rye which has a fantastic recreational area called Odiorne State Park (with a learning center, hiking trails, photo opportunities, and picnicking).

North of Concord, The Hood Museum at Dartmouth in Hanover, NH is a wonderful place to visit and has revolving exhibits. We have seen some great displays there! Many shops, bookstores, and eateries complement the atmosphere of that college town.

Just down the road from Hanover is Lebanon. Shopping is abundant, mainly due to tourists, and Vermont residents who like to shop and eat in New Hampshire to avoid sales taxes. There is a Lindt chocolate factory outlet and other shops you will enjoy. Nearby is Cornish, home of famous sculptor Saint-Gaudens. Even to just walk the grounds there is enjoyable, with its fountains and sculptures.

Just over the Connecticut River from Lebanon, there is a quilt shop, and a road that takes one to Woodstock, Vermont, a quaint New England town with loads of shopping, antiquing, and old bookstores. A central green is a pleasant place to rest on a park bench or to eat one’s lunch. The Billings Farm and Museum, a terrific place to take the family to see farm animals and exhibits, as well as a quilt show in August, is nearby. In Vermont, bird demonstrations are available, just beyond Quechee Gorge, a lovely, deep, natural formation carved the water and the centuries. A large mall with stores, including one for antiques, is present in the Quechee Gorge area, as well as other smaller stores.

Daniel Webster birthplace, in winter

This is the birthplace of NH stateman, Daniel Webster, in Franklin, New Hampshire, home of the (unrelated) Ellen Emeline Hardy Webster, about whom I have written a book. As a friend of the Jewett family, Daniel’s image still hangs in the historic home of the Sarah Orne Jewett House of S. Berwick, Maine. Webster figured heavily on the nineteenth century political scene.

We are very rich in the arts in New Hampshire and have been home to famous writers like Robert Frost. You can visit his former home in Derry, NH. The house is sometimes open for tours, but there are hiking trails and I believe you can picnic there. The property is managed by the NH State Parks system. I could provide a long list of musicians who have lived in the state including Irish singer, the late Tommy Makem; folksinger, Bill Staines; French-Canadian singer, Lucie Therrien, and many others. The list of talented writers and singers who hail from New Hampshire is too long to enumerate here. Let’s just say that there is no shortage of talent.

Keepsake Quilting is located in Centre Harbor, just south of Moultonboro’s wonderful Country Store. There is a Christmas Tree Loft store in Meredith, nearby. One can board a boat in Centre Harbor to tour Lake Winnipesaukee. The Lakes Region is a terrific area of the state and has high end shopping at Mill Falls Marketplace, as well as very nice hotels right there.

Downtown Portsmouth can be a day trip. There is the opportunity to have a guided tour through Strawbery Banke Museum (yes, that is how the name is spelled). One can go out in a Tugboat, or in a boat to see whales. Nature’s bounty of seafood is imminent in local restaurants. There are historic homes to visit, as well as a quilt shop on Market St. that specializes in fabrics and books for art quilting. You will love seeing all the beautiful old Colonial homes in Portsmouth.

Whether New Hampshire’s history brings you here, or its natural beauty, four season opportunities for outdoor re-creation, or its great food and shopping, devoid of sales tax, the state has something for every age and every taste. I have lived here most of my life, having gone away for a little while and returned. There is no place else I would rather live. I call New Hampshire, “home.” There are plenty of sights to see and ways to spend your vacation money. No matter what you do or where you go, you will want to return. New Hampshire is a state to remember.

Of course, we are a stone’s throw away from Massachusetts. In Lowell, the New England Quilt Museum continues to draw visitors. This June, the American Textile History Museum has re-opened and from what I hear, the new exhibits are grand. This coming week is the first week that the museum will be open to the general public with all of its new installations.

Yes, and what I have told you is only the tip of the iceberg. New Hampshire and the entire New England area are really fun to visit!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in New Hampshire | Comments Off

The Song of Love

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

All day the lyrics to a song have been running through my head:

The song of love is a sad song, hi lilly, hi lilly, hi lo
The song of love is a song of woe, Don’t ask me how I know.

The melody of the song is memorable, and the words have a lot of truth to them. The song of love is a sad song because if we truly love someone the chances are 1 in 2 that either one of the parties will die first, leaving the other behind.

When we are young, we think that love is forever. When we are first in love, the sun rises and sets on our beloved and we can see no faults in that person. Sometimes, things go terribly wrong.

I watched a movie today in which a relationship was not what the woman thought it to be: loving. The wife (played by Sally Field) meekly followed her husband, an Iranian doctor, back to Iran for a so-called visit. Once there, she was trapped, humiliated, beaten, threatened, and not even allowed to leave the apartment. Why? He wanted her to convert to Islam and live with their daughter in Iran. He was a mean man and his actions infuriated me.

What makes it worse is that this is a true story. The woman was able to finally escape. If she had not, she would have been dead by now. Currently, she helps other American women, who have been tricked into similar situations, to escape from their captors.

Seeing the movie made me realize just how many evil and fanatical men there are in the world. It is a frightening prospect, and one that is hard to fathom when the men that I know personally are all so kind and good.

The watchwords of the movie, that were based on a book, are also the title: “Not Without My Daughter.” You see, her husband was going to let her go to America to liquidate all of his holdings and to visit her dying father, on the condition that she leave her daughter behind. In the end, she managed to escape with her child.

On one level, this movie made me want to hate the people of Iran and their strange ways. What made the portrayal worse and even more bizarre was that it really was a true story. On the other hand, I would like to believe that there are “good” people in that country, and I wondered if this was a type of propaganda film. All I really knew for sure is that I was steaming “mad” all through it. I am happy that it had a good ending.

Take care with your heart. There are the “users” of the world who would eat you up and spit you out, without another thought. Just watch for the hidden agendas. They do abound.

Even though the song sounds melancholy, I do like the words and melody to the song I mentioned. None of us get out of this life without heartbreak. My own heartbreak began when I lost my father when I was just 22 years old. The more we love, the greater the loss. Yes, “the song of love is a sad song,” but what is the alternative? In this life, we are called to love one another. Parting is bittersweet.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags:
Posted in Movies | Comments Off

« Older Entries