quiltersmuse.com Blog

First of all, let me clarify my own position on the topic of bearing arms. I believe it is the right of individuals to possess the means to defend themselves and those around them. Therefore, I would oppose a law that would seek to limit an individual’s right to own a firearm. That said, with freedom comes responsibility. That includes keeping guns locked up, and safely out of the hands of children.

As reported in the media, on August 11, a bizarre incident occurred in my home state of New Hampshire. A man, with a gun strapped to his leg, showed up at the health care rally in Portsmouth where President Obama was speaking. Although the action appeared to be a menacing gesture, the individual could not be arrested, as the gun was in plain sight. Were he carrying a concealed weapon, without a permit, then he could have been removed from the area by the police.

In another recent incident, a man was walking up and down a local street, carrying a very large knife. Again, he had committed no crime, and could not be arrested. No one knew why he was engaging in this strange and alarming behavior. Although he may have been mentally-disturbed, and seemed to be so, he could not be arrested until he actually committed a crime.

Both incidents did not result in violence, and that is a blessing!

A society is in trouble when only certain officials control and have all the weapons. To me, that situation would be akin to living in a Communist state. Whether someone carries a gun, or a knife, or even a club, they do have the right to do so, as much as the community does not like the idea.

In actuality, I am more offended by the perpetual violent scenes in movies, than I am when I hear that someone has shot an intruder in his own home. I am more perturbed by the exchange of semi-automatic weapons (assault weapons) among criminals that potentially find their way into the hands of drug dealers.

As much as we’d like to feel safe in our communities, television shows often depict true events with fatal outcomes that prove what can happen to the unwary. In one instance, a woman was murdered by someone as she slept in her home, after continually bragging that she felt so safe, she never locked the door.

Of course, it’s not a cool idea to think of shooting anyone, and it goes without saying that the decision would have to be a last resort.

Military men who must kill or be killed, in time of war, most likely struggle with having had to kill another human being. Whenever I think of things like that, I recall the My Lai incident in Vietnam where a whole village, consisting of old people and children, was brutally-slain and ravaged by U.S. military subordinates who acted under orders of a commanding officer. The report of what happened was the most disturbing of the entire war. Their actions must have haunted the soldiers, resulting in “flashbacks” for the rest of their lives.

Self-protection is a good idea. The Biblical injunction states: “Thou Shalt Not Kill.”

However, even a confirmed pacifist and church-goer, like the celebrated war hero, Sgt. Alvin York, who fought Germans in France during World War I, was able to come around to the notion that, in war, those who want to remain “peaceful” are the same guys who stand a good chance of losing their own lives.

As we face more and more government interventions that could affect our daily lives, some of them based on Socialist principles, we should try to retain the basic rights that are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and our Founding Fathers. One valued concept is “the right to keep and bear arms.”

You are welcome to disagree, on any grounds you wish, and if so, I’d appreciate your thoughts. Please leave a comment on this blog, or write to me directly at:
pat@quiltersmuse.com

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

The postcard presented here tells a story unto itself, although with the passage of time and the distance of space, we cannot fully know its meaning. Depicted is a soldier in uniform. The writing on the back of the card simply says, “Carte Postale,” (postcard in French), and nothing else. Somehow the scene of a soldier, sitting at a desk, writing a letter to the woman pictured in the upper left corner, reminds me very much of some of the “Mother Pillow Covers” of the same era (World War I).

A Thanksgiving Remembered

While we do not generally think of the members of the U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps (1933-1942) as members of the military, although some later joined the ranks during World War II, the men stayed in camp for holidays. In spite of times being hard, the men were fed well. We had the good fortune to meet a man, within the last two weeks, who had served as a leader in both the CCC and in WWII. He provided us with a menu of what his men ate for Thanksgiving 1936 at the 1147th Company, CCC, Warner Camp No. 11016, Warner, New Hampshire.

English Turkey Soup
Celery
Stuffed Olives
Mixed Pickles
Roast Turkey
Nut Dressing
Snowflake Potatoes
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Giblet Gravy
Mashed Turnips
Cranberry Sauce
Lettuce and Tomato Salad
Parker House Rolls
Butter
Mince Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Ice Cream
Oranges
Grapes
Cigarettes
Assorted Nuts
Mixed Candy
Figs
Pimentos
Salted Peanuts
Cherries
Coffee

Sounds like quite a spread, and a well-deserved one for the men whose total pay, minus $5. per month, was sent home to their mothers. The Great Depression was difficult, but the men of the CCC did all they could to work hard, braving blizzard-like conditions, at times, to do their work in New Hampshire.

So, from New Hampshire, we wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. Be ever mindful that the holiday was officially celebrated only after decades of letter writing to four different presidents by Sarah Josepha Buell Hale, who was born in Newport, NH, and her assistant. We are happy to claim Mrs. Hale as one of our own. To read more about her, visit our website:

http://www.quiltersmuse.com/sarah_josepha_buell_hale.htm

Blessings,

Patricia Cummings

A beautiful photo of a World War I pillow has come to our attention. The individual who wrote wanted to know more about it. Here is the photo Please click on the link to view.

I am so glad that Kim B. rescued this pillow from being an attic discard. As you can see it is quite lovely. There is some vertical shredding of the silk, not uncommon in this era. Fold lines are also not uncommon to see after so many years of storage. Otherwise, the colors are vibrant and the message, “The Spirit of Liberty” compelling, accompanied by Lady Columbia holding a flag, and a separate wreath, as well as an Eagle, the symbol of our Democracy.

World War 1 pillows are distinctive. I hope that you will pick up a copy of The Quilter magazine and read more about them. Our article is in the January 2009 issue. Thanks to Kim for sending this wonderful example of a patriotic pillow.

Patricia Cummings

If you subscribe to The Quilter magazine, then it is likely that you may have received your copy of the magazine today. When planning an article for this issue, I took into account that Nov. 11 is Veteran’s Day, and that Election Day would be in November, and I wanted a patriotic theme.

The result is an article that is both colorful and informative about my research concerning World War I pillow covers. I couldn’t believe how beautiful the pages look in print! I derive a lot of satisfaction from my work and the fact that I have created more than sixty articles of high quality and historic value for this magazine, in addition to all of my other writings and quiltmaking.

If you are not lucky enough to have already subscribed, you might put that on your wish list for a holiday gift, if someone asks what you would like. The magazine is always filled with quilts made from designer fabrics, and highlights quilt events and quilt world personalities. This month has a feature article about the Annual Quilt for a Cure Cruise to New England. This magazine is in stores now! You can learn more about what is included in this issue by visiting the magazine’s website: http://www.thequiltermag.com

The mention of all of this is not to be construed as an ad, just as an appreciative statement. You know, all of the quilt titles on the market are special, and they all approach quilting from a slightly different angle, and that is wonderful, in itself. As quilters, no shoe fits all, and we enjoy variety. It is humbling to see and recognize all of the talent in today’s quilting world. Usually, quilting itself is a solitary event, but then we come together to discuss needlework and quilts online and in person. We meet in guilds and at shows, and we make friends. I’d say we have the best of both worlds, working alone and working together.

Piece in peace,

Patricia Cummings, Quilter’s Muse Publications: http://www.quiltersmuse.com

This morning on television, there was a short segment about the oldest living veteran from World War I, Frank Woodruff Buckles, who is now 107 years old. The news commentator noted that the early twentieth century war appears to have been little understood, and is not even celebrated with any specific memorial.

World War I pillow cover “Lady Liberty” – photo courtesy of “jbftaylor,” on eBay

At the time of the war, there seems to have been fervor for it, particularly in the patriotic pillow covers such as the one seen above. Textiles always tell us a lot about the times in which they were made.

I would just like to take a moment to salute all those who have served in the military. Some of them even reinvented their birth dates so that they would be eligible to join in the fight, earlier than they should have been involved. That includes my own (late) uncle who joined the U.S. Army at seventeen and fought in all seven major battles of World War II, including the Battle of the Bulge.

When any war is over, the country seems to want to forget it; to just erase it from the collective memory bank. That has appeared to be true of WWI, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and Desert Storm. No doubt that will hold true for the current war in Iraq.
Yet, for the veterans who serve in any given war, it is perhaps the most important, most life-changing event they will have ever faced. We probably would not realize the extent of emotionalism, and memory, still left in the survivors of war, both soldier and civilian.

Now, if we could just quit avoiding the discussion of war in history books for children, there might be a chance that the younger generation could take a few lessons from the past and have the cultural literacy to all of this into context. In the meantime, the soldier survivors who continue to make headlines, as well as the extant textiles from all wars, will have to serve as a reminder of the human sacrifice, devotion, and dedication to country that is demanded in time of war.

Patricia Cummings