quiltersmuse.com Blog

Don Beld, founder of the Home of the Brave Quilts program that makes and presents quilts to families of fallen U.S. military heroes who have served and died in Iraq or Afghanistan, sends the following message:

The Home of the Brave Quilt Project during the next 30 days will present one or more (one for each child left behind) Home of the Brave quilts to the families of the fallen heroes from Ft. Hood, Texas. This project is being coordinated by our national coordinator, Sandi Carstensen, in Iowa.

Quilt top that was hand pieced by Don Beld.

I am in the process of making, by hand, of course, a Memorial Quilt for the fort to have as part of their memorials. I have attached photos of the finished quilt top, which I completed this week in five days or about 60 hours of hand piecing. I will be hand embroidering and hand quilting during the next several weeks with the hope of getting it to the fort by December 5, 2009. I expect it will take me about 200 + hours to hand quilt. I will be using dark brown thread for the embroidery and quilting.

Close-up of the Fort Hood Memorial Quilt being made by Donald Beld of California

As my friends and associates, I thought you might like to see the top as we all honor these fallen heroes.

Best, Don

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Thank you for this information, Don. You are truly an inspiration and have been a steady worker, putting your heart and soul into honoring military men who gave their lives in service to our country. In honoring them, you bring honor to yourself. May God bless you and all of your efforts!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

“The Calico Garden,” a reproduction (crib size) quilt created by Patricia Cummings.

Florence Peto was a New Jersey quilt historian and a quilter, too. She is the person who created the original design that you see re-created here. “The Calico Garden” quilt of hers is in the collection of the Shelburne Museum in Burlington, Vermont. I was amazed to view the original. For some reason, I thought the coloration to be quite different, based on photos I had seen.

My quilt is not “exactly” like that of Mrs. Peto who used much smaller Broderie Perse (appliqué) pieces in floral swags for the borders. I needleturned most of the appliqué work, and hand quilted this quilt, which took about a year.

When I was finished, I filled out some paperwork that came with the pattern I had purchased from Hoopla Designs, and I sent it along to the Shelburne, with a photo, for their records. They are attempting to keep track of reproductions of quilts in their care.

I hope you enjoy seeing this cheerful quilt as much as I enjoyed making it, perhaps as long as five years ago.

There are references to Mrs. Peto, and her words as a quilt historian, in my book, Ellen Emeline Hardy Webster (1867-1950). If you are not familiar with this book, yet you claim to like quilt history, you don’t know what you are missing if you do not own a copy of this book on CD. (355 pages/ 340 photos) – available only from Quilter’s Muse Publications. pat@quiltersmuse.com

Here’s to Beauty! May it ever be.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

A girl caught in the winds of autumn

In looking through photo albums of quilts, I found an image of another quilt that I made quite a long time ago. I do not recall the year. Perhaps I put a label on the back of this quilt, but to find out, I shall have to ask the friend who now owns it.

I just remember that the quilt a lot of fun to make, if one loves appliqué as much as I do. I remember selecting actual wool cloth to make the “jacket.” I enjoyed pulling fabrics from my stash that would create an effect similar to the photo greeting card that accompanied the written instructions for this Piecemaker design.

Piecemaker patterns are of very high quality and I have enjoyed making several of their designs. While I am on this theme of autumn wall hangings, I will continue looking for a specific quilt picture to share. (I also gave that quilt away).

I love autumn!

Pat

Scarecrow and Pumpkins

I vaguely remember making this wall quilt. I do not remember at all who designed the pattern, or if it was a kit, or actually … anything about it. Unfortunately, I put it away without adding a label, a big no-no for someone who has too much on her mind and is increasingly forgetful.

So, I am posting it for you to enjoy, but also to ask if anyone has seen this design somewhere before? I’m really stumped, and would like to add a label for posterity, noting who designed this piece. Ach! Maybe someone can help!

This time of year is such fun. When Jim went grocery shopping last week, he brought home a bag of candy corn: nice big pieces with orange, white and yellow stripes. That is one of my favorite candies. He has purchased other Halloween candy (and hid it away from both of us!). It is always a guess as to who might or might not show up at the door. We live in a neighborhood that has mostly adults, some with small babies.

Usually, teenagers show up, sometimes driving themselves around. This year I wonder if the threat of swine flu will cut down on the number of kids who go trick or treating. At any rate, it’s always fun the costumes!

I enjoyed making this decorative quilt. Now, I’d like to discover its mysteries.

P.S. I just found a similar quilt in an old photo album of show quilts, so I know this design was not mine. I’d love to give the designer credit on my label, just because it is the right thing to do. If no one knows the answer readily, I’ll begin searching through patterns and books … an awesome task!

Pat – pat@quiltersmuse.com

For 3,500 years, in both pre-colonial and post-colonial eras of Mexico, the people there have celebrated a unique holiday. Today, the “Day of the Dead” ceremonies encompass both Aztec rituals and thoughts, and those of Roman Catholicism. Once a month long festival, now just two days are set aside, presided over by Mictecacihuatl, “the Lady of the Dead.” This celebration is inextricably linked to “All Saints Day” (Nov. 1) and “All Soul’s Day” (Nov. 2).

The first day is set aside to honor the “angelitos,” the little angels who are no longer with us. White candles burn at their gravesites, and toys and balloons are brought there.

Adults are honored by elaborate altars, both at home and at the cemetery. These displays include food: sweet rolls (pan de muerto), candy skulls that are eaten by a friend or relative in memory of the deceased, and other food items, as well as all manner of beverages, including, but not limited to, atole (made from corn meal), tequila, water, and coffee.

Floral wreaths of either artificial or fresh flowers are often seen, and a favorite flower seems to be a certain variety of marigold.

The celebration is full of joy and is carried out throughout Mexico. One of the more spectacular events occurs on an island called Janitzio in the Lago de Patzcuaro (with an accent on the first “a.”) There, a duck hunt is conducted. Tourists are advised to book their trips in sufficient time, before hotels fill up. Mexico City is a major destination where the section called “Mixquic” is a desirable place to be, during the Day of the Dead celebrations. Another site is Oaxaca.

Firework displays, and happy revelry welcome back the dead for one day. These traveling souls are thought to be residing in Mictlan at the present time, but they come back to their graves to enjoy their favorite foods. The celebration for adults is marked by the tolling of a bell from 6 p.m. until sunrise the next day. This night is called, “Noche de Muertos.”

Some historians make parallels to the Festival of Osiris in ancient Egypt. It seems that if we look at recorded history and the history of ideas, we will see that Man wants to believe that there is something more than his mortal existence, that we, as a species, can and do beat Death itself. This idea certainly coincides with Christian thought, but it is interesting to remember that the idea of an afterlife precedes Christianity.

The skull, the quintessential symbol of Death, rules the day in this Mexican celebration. In thinking again about this topic, I can’t ever forget the beautiful quilt, “ Amigos Muertos.” Technically-speaking, I believe it is the finest quilt I have ever seen. Read about the controversy surrounding this quilt on Gwendolyn Magee’s blog. Nonetheless, the quilt was named one of the best 100 quilts of the 20th century.

See this site for a PBS interview with Jonathan.

October is Hispanic Heritage Month.

I hope that you have enjoyed this overview that was helped along by information found at quite a few sites online. In gathering facts, I learned more about this holiday myself, and I do so love to learn!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications