quiltersmuse.com Blog

The quilt block images on the cover of this book, Jubilee, are derived from a highly-valued, African-American made quilt that is now owned by the Slave Relics Museum. The Slave Relics Museum is located at 208 Carn St., Walterboro, SC 29488; telephone:
(843) 549-9130.

An African-American made quilt, formerly owned by Mr. Polk who died in 1864, was appraised by Nancy Druckman on the Antiques Roadshow program. This quilt is believed to date from 1825-1830. An estate inventory lists Polk’s slaves, as well as his household goods. Druckman set an appraisal value for the quilt at between $40,000 and $60,000, at the time she viewed it.

Roadshow Archive

The remarkable book that presents some of the quilt blocks on its cover is titled, Jubilee: The Emergence of African-American Culture – The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: The New York Public Library. This hard-cover volume was published by National Geographic, Washington, D.C. and is the result of work done by Howard Dodson with Amiri Baraka, Gail Buckley, John Hope Franklin, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Annette Gordon-Reed, and Gayraud S. Wilmore.

With 224 pages, the book follows through on its promise to chronicle “the true nature and impact of 300 years of slavery in America.” Quilters will be pleased to see Harriet Powers’ quilt included, as well as an image that depicts a slave in chains, the same one that appears on a number of 19th century quilts. The book’s ISBN number is 0-7922-6982-9 (hc)

Right now, in my home state, Dr. David Watters, an English professor at the University of New Hampshire, who has a strong interest in history, is attempting to spearhead a legislative action that would place a tribute memorial to all the former slaves in New Hampshire, as well as to document all of them. See the Concord Monitor article that describes Watters’ efforts.

They say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” In this case, “they” are wrong. This is a quality book, through and through, from its high level of scholarship to its fabulous photos. One feature I love about this book is that when the dust cover is removed, the outlines of all the quilt blocks appear, in Black on a lighter Black background.

Anyone who hopes to better understand African-American Culture should have a copy of this book in his or her own library. Don’t let this one get away!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Ever since purchasing the book, Paper Piecing the Seasons, by Stephen Seifert and Liz Schwartz, I have been a fan of their work. In April 2000, I began making a wall quilt that they call, “Country Roads Quilt.” I finished the quilt and gave it to my niece in California for her birthday in October 2000. I thought she’d enjoy the autumn scene in this quilt that I called, “Covered Bridge in Autumn.”

Design from the book, Paper Piecing the Seasons. Pieced by Patricia Cummings. (The photo shows this piece when it was still a quilt top, – and although you can’t tell from the photo, the quilt does have even borders).

I remember the fun I had making this quilt! Not as many landscape fabrics were available, compared to today. The hunt for the perfect fabric to represent tree colors, the stones, and other elements, was a joy!

Today, I discovered that the singular pattern for this quilt is still available at eQuiltPatterns.com, along with many other tempting designs for those who love paper piecing. To see a larger view, click here.

I have made only a few foundation pieced quilts but have always enjoyed them. This one was particularly fun as I made it with love and with the expectation and hope that it would be enjoyed by the recipient.

Whatever you do today, take joy in your work. We pass this way only once.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

For those of you who are interested in mill history and factory history, please do not overlook the circumstances and results of the fire that occurred in the Triangle shirtwaist factory in New York’s Greenwich Village on March 25, 1911. As on the 9-11-2001 day that has lived in infamy, workers could be seen jumping out of the building to their deaths … better than being burned alive?

David Von Drehle wrote a book titled, Triangle: The Fire That Changed America. This book will reverberate with any reader who has immigrant factory workers in their family or who just loves the details of labor history and/or accounts with a human edge.

In all, 146 people lost their lives. You see, their workplace was on an upper level of a building, so high that the ladders of New York’s fire engines could not reach. Moreover, the workers had been “locked in” without knowing it.

Large mills in the U.S. seem to have waivered between a paternalistic attitude, initially, and a punitive one in light of labor disputes and strikes. The bottom line for any “agent” was to maximize profit for the mill owners. It was not until someone with a camera, Lewis Hines, began taking photos of children at work, and exhibiting them publicly, was awareness of the evils of child labor even noticed.

Children were a commodity on the farm … in the workplace. No matter that they died on a regular basis from emphysema, pneumonia, and cancer, after breathing in cotton linters in a completely enclosed, sealed work environment, like Slater Mill, the first industrialized cotton spinning center, set up by Samuel Slater in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The pretty yellow building on a fast-flowing river is deceptively appealing, not belying the human devastation wreaked within the walls of the mill.

Mill settings picked the most needy of society for their workers, those without a voice: children, women and immigrants. Not much changed from the earliest mill to the shirtwaist factory tragedy of the twentieth century as you shall readily see, if you read Von Drehle’s riveting account. I read this book when it was first published in 2003 and can recommend it, without reservation.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

A few new quilt books have just been announced and they are being raved about by those who have seen them at Quilt Market. I thought I’d share their titles with you.

Quilts of the Golden West by Cindy Brick is a book that has come to my attention online, in several spots, already. Apparently, one of its features is a set of patterns. I’m intrigued and can’t wait to see this one.

The second hot-off-the-press book is the much awaited one, Amish Abstractions by Joe Cunningham. The name of it is Amish Abstractions, and that is all I can say for now.

Another book in the “news” is Patchwork and Quilting, a book in English, by Larissa Denisova. The goal is to extend the awareness of quilting done in Russia today. I have no information yet on where to find this book to purchase.

Jinny Beyer has recently published a new book, The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns.

A fourth book that looks very interesting is a catalog published (or “to be published”) in the United Kingdom, titled, Quilts 1700-2010: Hidden Histories, Untold Stories by Sue Pritchard. If I find out how this item can be ordered, I will post that information here.

So many books, so little time. That is my mantra. I LOVE books! My house looks like it. So, I share this information with you, in case there are any other book lovers out there who want to be kept “up to speed.”

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Pat:

I just wanted to touch base to see how you two were doing and to let you know that my book has just been published. I can’t believe that after having a dream of publishing a book for so long, that it has actually happened. I hope you can take a moment just to glance at my web site and look at the excerpts. If you should decide to purchase one, please comment on my blog after you read it. I need the feedback for my sanity. Thanks again for all of your editorial help.

Take care and God bless you both and God bless America !

Warm Regards,

Bob

Visit: www.thankyouamericabook.com

To purchase: www.mytya.com

PS: Photo taken last Veteran’s Day. CWO3, USN (RET) Bob Rotruck, and his wife

***
Bob –

I was certainly happy to look over your book and suggests edits. The stories you tell about Navy life, over 20 years as a career man, are compelling. Both Jim and I wish you the very best in the future, as well as success with your book. I know the exhilarating feeling of completing a task, whether it be a quilt or writing a book … and there is nothing like it!

Our best,

Pat and Jim
Quilter’s Muse Publications