October in Christian County, Kentucky

Fall pictures

I pulled off "The Boulevard" (Ft. Campbell Blvd. in Hopkinsville) to take this picture of the spectacular colors in the sky. Just a few moments later, the sun went behind a cloud, and the brilliance was gone.

I'm not sure whose horses these are, but I don't think a Mennonite owns them. They're too flashy in color, and besides, I don't think a Mennonite would turn his horses loose in the woods. They'd be too hard to catch if he needed to go somewhere.

I took this photo early in October. Since then, autumn colors have deepened, and many of the leaves have fallen. The maples in our yard have lost nearly all their leaves. The oaks tend to hold their leaves longer.

These fall wildflowers are growing along the "Town Fork" of Little River (as it was called in earlier times) in Hopkinsville. The lavender flowers are little wild asters. I saw the red berries along the banks of Little River, too. If you know what sort of berries they are, please tell me in the comments. I think there's honeysuckle in that tangled mass of vegetation -- it is so terribly invasive, once it gets started.

Keely has been sewing Halloween costumes. I went with her to WalMart one afternoon to help pick out fabric. We didn't see anything there that suited her. A few days later, she came out here, and we looked through my stash and found some pieces she thought would work. I am pretty sure I'll never get all the fabric in my stash sewed, so I like to share it with Keely every now and then.

On the Sundays that I work, I often see buggies going through Hopkinsville at about the same time that I'm heading home myself.  Darkness arrives earlier now, so I wish the families in the buggies would head home a little earlier. I am careful when I see their four flashing taillights, but I fear that other drivers are not.

I think this is a Mennonite buggy, as it has a triangular slow-moving-vehicle sign. The Amish don't like the triangular orange sign -- they recently agreed with the State of Kentucky that they will outline their buggies in silver reflective tape instead. I am not sure if the local Amish use battery-powered headlights or not.

And finally, just a reminder that the holiday season has already begun. I don't remember ever seeing a blue Christmas tree before, but I'm surprised I haven't. The citizens of Kentucky really support the UK teams.

"Quilt Barn" in Christian County, KY

Quilts and fabric in Kentucky Mennonite country.

This barn stands along Highway 68/80, east of Hopkinsville, KY. The "quilt block" on its front has been there for several years. It was painted, I believe, by a local economic development agency that had a "quilt barns" grant from the Kentucky Arts Council. The quilt barns are supposed to look folksy, promote tourism, and encourage a better appreciation of our quilting heritage and history.

I could be wrong about how this quilt square came to be. It appeared during the quilt barn explosion. Quilt blocks were painted on a few dozen highly-visible barns in several counties, and then lots of barns suddenly had quilt squares painted on them. Property owners liked the look so much that they started quilt-blocking their barns, at their own expense. The quilt barn idea "went viral", as they say on the internet.

I'm don't know who owns this barn, but I do know who owns the sign on its side wall. Mrs. Amman Snyder, a Mennonite lady, had her "Quilts" sign on the barn even before the quilt block was painted on it. She has a quilt shop at her home, about a mile down Highway 1027. When I worked in classified ads at our local newspaper, I helped her with her occasional quilt sale advertisements.

Mrs. Snyder has recently added fabric to her shop. She is responding to published reports that WalMart will soon be eliminating its fabric departments. The Mennonite ladies of Christian County have been regular fabric customers in Hopkinsville's Walmart. They'll need another fabric source if they can't buy it at WalMart any more.

Last year, my Mennonite neighbor Elsie told me that I should open a little neighborhood fabric store. She thought I could put it in the upstairs room of our shed. I entertained the idea for about 10 seconds, and during that short time, I had vivid imaginations of owning dozens of bolts of cloth that no one wanted to buy.

Mrs. Snyder will be a much better cloth merchant than I would be. She knows from personal experience what sorts of fabric and sewing notions the Mennonite ladies want and need. She's open for business to the "English" as well -- her signs on the highway proclaim it.

Cousin Alta's Quilts

(And some other examples of quilting and needlework)

I drove over to visit my Cousin Alta one day this week. She lives in Tennessee about 100 miles southwest of here. We had a pleasant afternoon of talking about family history and life in general. Alta and my mother, Doris Sees Hill, were first cousins. Alta's mother, Elva Sees Hix, and my grandfather, Harry Sees, were brother and sister.

We started talking about and looking at quilts when Alta's friend came by to return some quilting books. She brought along a pinwheel(?) quilt and an unfinished quilt top that she wanted to show Alta.

The fabrics of the quilt top are vivid turquoise, pink, and purple prints. Alta's friend laughed about her daughter who said, "Mom, that's just not you!" when she saw the colors.

After her friend left, we looked at some quilts Alta has made. I photographed them so the Prairie Bluestem readers can enjoy them too. However, the photos don't do the quilts justice because they don't show enough of the detail.

Alta made many of the blocks for her embroidered quilts when she and her husband went camping. The quilt in the photo at right is edged with eyelet lace.

Two more of Alta's embroidered quilts:

• White blocks, set together with blue -- sorry, this photo is a little fuzzy.
• Roses, embroidered on white blocks, with matching shams and throw pillow

We spread the quilts on Alta's bed, one on top of the other. Alta said she would leave them stretched out there for a few days to let their fibers relax. It's not good for them to be rolled up all the time.

The quilt at left is a friendship quilt that includes blocks made by relatives. Alta showed me this one to give me an example of how I might set together some quilt blocks that my Grandma Nora gave me.

When Alta and her husband first moved to the little village where she lives, she wanted to make a friendship quilt, but she didn't know anyone who could or would make a quilt block. She didn't realize how many quilters lived around there and how friendly they were! The quilt at right is the result.

Alta showed me three Log Cabin quilts that she has made.

• A diagonally striped quilt with matching shams and a coordinating pillow
• A diamond-patterned Log Cabin quilt -- notice the mini-blocks in the border.
• A diagonally striped Christmas quilt made of Christmas fabrics

I think Alta told me that she made the quilt in the photo at left for a quilting class she taught. The same fabrics are used throughout, but combined differently in each block.

As I was labeling these photographs and getting them ready to post, I wrote that this quilt has a pinwheel pattern, but now I'm wondering if they are windmills instead.

The quilt at right is a Fourth of July quilt. Each star is made of a different, star-patterned fabric. The back of the quilt is a star-patterned Christmas fabric, so it can be reversed for the winter holidays.

After she had quilted for a while, Alta realized that she had a big collection of quilt blocks that she had made as experiments, trying out different patterns and fabrics. She fitted them together and made a sampler quilt. A good name for it would be "The Joy of Quilting."

Alta's mother (my great-aunt Elva) was a quilter, too. Alta has a wedding ring quilt that her mother made. Also, Alta has framed a nice piece of embroidery done by her mother. Alta learned to hand quilt so she could finish some of the quilt tops her mother left her.

When Alta was a little girl, the Omaha World Herald published a quilt block every week, for the ladies to trace onto fabric and embroider. Alta used the World Herald patterns to make her first quilt when she was about ten years old - a Wild West quilt (photo at left).

Every embroidered block features a historic Western character, such as John Brown, Calamity Jane, and Sitting Bull. Alta's mother machine-quilted it for her after she had all the blocks set together.

Another interesting old quilt was given to Alta by a neighbor lady in Nebraska. This neighbor lady was single all her life and known for being grouchy. However, Alta was kind to her and became her friend. When Alta and her husband moved to Tennessee, the lady wrote to her every day for many years.

The quilt was handmade by the neighbor lady. It has an unusual Sunbonnet pattern, partly appliqued and partly embroidered. Alta says she has never seen the pattern in any other quilt.

Alta's current project is a baby quilt (photo at right). She traced the animal pictures from a coloring book and embroidered them.

These photographs don't represent all the quilts that Alta has made. She can't even remember how many quilts she has made and given away.

Related posts:
Friendship Quilt
A Beautiful Handmade Quilt
Crazy Quilt
Old Quilts Need Special Care
Cover Stories Worth Preserving

Trench Coat Travails

All's well that ends well

I've gone so long without writing a post that a couple of my readers have emailed to ask if I'm OK. I appreciate your concern. I am well, and my family is well. I've just haven't had time for the computer lately.

When I wasn't busy doing other things this week, I was busy in Keely's bedroom. (It's still called Keely's room, though she has moved out and has her own place now). I have my sewing machine in that room, and I'm planning to move my computer and my personal library back there soon.

Last weekend, Keely moved a chest of drawers and a vanity out of her room. I had some things in and on those pieces of furniture, so I had to find new places for them. I had to get the room cleaned up quickly because I needed to sew a trench coat I had promised Isaac. (You may remember that I hoped to sew this coat while I was on vacation a couple of weeks ago. Ha!)

Reason for the trench coat: On Halloween night, Isaac went to an "Alice in Wonderland" costume party (hosted by Keely and Taurus), and his character was the caterpillar. He wore the trench coat with a fez and a matching vest that Keely sewed for him.(According to my kids, the caterpillar is dressed like that in a non-Disney Alice film that they've seen.) We couldn't find a pattern for a regular trench coat, so we used a pattern for a long Matrix-style coat.

I had quite a time with that coat. It wouldn't have been bad, except that I decided to line it. The pattern didn't have directions for a lining, but I thought I could manage it -- and I did, but it took my spare time for the rest of the week.

About midnight Thursday night, I finished putting in the sleeves. Yesterday (Friday) afternoon, I came home from work, hemmed the coat, and put in the collar. I finished it at 7:30 p.m., took it to town, and met Isaac when he got off work at 8:00. Never let it be said that I break my promises -- though sometimes I cut it close!

Isaac donned his coat and went off to his party, pleased that his costume was cool (and complete). As for me, I came home and sat at the computer to read my e-mail and the news headlines. In just a few minutes, I was nodding over the keyboard, so I went to bed.

This morning, Isaac and Dennis talked to me a few times, but I dismissed them quickly and kept on sleeping. All in all, I got about 12 hours, and I loved it.

Was all that intense sewing worth the time and trouble? Of course it was, because it made Isaac happy. He said he got lots of compliments on his coat. Tomorrow, I'll try to get him to pose in it for a picture to post.

How to Patch the Knees of Jeans

Repair a hole in fabric

If you have the time to do it, a neat patch on a damaged garment returns it to useful service, saves you money and gives you a nice glow of pride in your handwork.

Here are the basics of repairing a worn out knee with a patch that is hemmed on both sides. These same ten steps can be used to patch a hole in virtually any fabric item.

1. Following the threads in the denim, cut off the frazzled edges so that the hole is square or rectangular in shape.

2. From an old pair of jeans, cut a patch that is one inch larger on all sides than the hole you are repairing. The edges of the patch should follow the threads in the cloth. Cut a 1/4-inch square out of each corner of the patch.

3. Put the patch inside the jeans leg and center it beneath the hole. Be sure the right side of the fabric is showing through the hole. Pin it securely.

4. Baste the patch in place, running the stitches about 3/4 inch from the edge of the hole.

5. From the right side of the knee, make a 1/4-inch diagonal cut in each of the four corners of the hole. (See image below.)

6. On each side of the hole, fold the fabric to the inside. Baste the folded edge to the patch.

7. Turn the jeans inside out. Remove the basting stitches from the outside edge of the patch.

8. Fold the edge of the patch under on all four sides. Baste the folded edges to the jeans. (See image below.)

9. Press the patch smoothly, lifting the iron up and down rather than sliding it across the fabric.

10. Stitch the edges down on both sides by hand with a hemming stitch, or sew around all edges with your sewing machine. Remove all basting stitches.

When my children were young, I bought a lot of their jeans at garage sales. Often I found jeans that were in excellent condition except for holes in the knees. I bought them for a small price and patched them. It was a good way to save a lot of money.

A Beautiful Handmade Quilt

Story of an heirloom quilt

Carolyn Hall of Bassett, Nebraska, sent the photo of the beautiful quilt above, and I asked if I could post it for everyone to enjoy. She graciously agreed and wrote a few words of explanation about the quilt's history:

The quilt was made by my cousin Neva Armour in MI. When she died it was left to her niece, Sharon Katz Gobel in KY. So the only relation it has to Rock County is me. You may put it on your blog as an example of a completely hand done quilt originally started in the 1930's and finished in 2006-7 by the Busy Fingers quilting group of the Bassett United Methodist Church (Leona Spann, age 93, Lois Bennett, age 87 and Carolyn Hall, age 68). The cat is a barn cat from Cherry county. She must be part Siamese to get the seal brown color.

I sized the photo down to post it here, but take a closer look in the image below. I am awed at the many, many little pieces of cloth, the hours of work, and the thousands of stitches in this quilt. The quilters loved what they were doing and their joy in their skill just shines here.

The story that goes with it makes it even more special. How nice that the quilt was finally completed!

A quilt like this has a value that is far beyond money.





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WalMart Closing Out Fabric Departments?

Some Interesting News... And What I Think About It...

According to an article in the Rolla Daily News, WalMart may be closing out fabric departments in some or all of its stores in order to expand party supplies. They may not even keep sewing machines or basic sewing supplies such as needles and thread in the stores anymore.

I'm horrified. At present, WalMart is the only place I know of in Hopkinsville where fabric and other standard sewing supplies are sold. If WalMart closes their fabric department, I'll have to drive to Clarksville (a round trip of some 60 miles) and pay three times the price to buy a piece of cloth or even a decent spool of thread.

If you have an opinion about this, please express it to WalMart Corporation. The Rolla Daily News gives the following contact information:

Those wishing to make comments to Wal-Mart can do so by calling 1-800-Wal-Mart or writing a letter to Wal-Mart Headquarters, 702 S.W. Eighth St., Bentonville, AR 72716. To sign the petition, visit the Web site: http://www.petitiononline.com/savefab/petition.html, or call Judy McFarland at (573) 336-7482.

If you have a friend, relative or neighbor who sews, please give them the above contact information!

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Crazy Quilt

Life in Christian County, Kentucky...

I bought this old photograph for 25¢ at the Peddler's Mall in Hopkinsville a few days ago. I found it in a stack of old family photos, and I have no idea who the baby was or why anyone would sell its photograph.

Maybe the photograph documents two of the most precious things the parents of this baby possessed -- the baby in its christening gown and an exquisitely embellished crazy quilt.

Or then again, maybe the crazy quilt was a prop that the photographer used with all the babies.

Either way, the quilt is beautiful. I notice that on the right side below the baby's hand, there seems to be a vine with appliqued flowers.

Just as a guess, I'd say the photo might have been taken in the 1920's. I say that because it reminds me a little of my mother's baby picture.

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Beautiful Needlework

Blogs and Blogging...

Debbie R., a lady from Texas, has posted some lovely photos of embellishments in her needlework blog, "Needle Lil More Time to Sew". Many of her embellishments appear to be fancy bits on crazy quilts. If you enjoy needlework, you'll find her blog and archives interesting and inspiring.

In her posts for mid-October, she talks about making a "hussif" -- that is, a housewife, an old-time sewing kit that men carried with them when they traveled or went off to war. I think her hussif is a little more feminine and fancified than the utilitarian models that were stuffed into the saddlebags of wayfarers.

Sewing Links

My Various Hobbies...

This link leads to an article that contains a number of useful and interesting sewing links. I'm posting it for anyone who likes to sew and especially for Trixie who is getting back into sewing recently.

Sew Now What

Yo-Yo Garland

My Various Hobbies...

I saw this yo-yo garland at the flea market in Hopkinsville. I have forgotten the exact price asked for it, but it was fairly expensive. It wouldn't be at all hard to make.

To make a yo-yo, simply cut a circle of cotton or cotton-blend dressweight cloth, about twice the diameter that you want the finished yo-yo to be. You might want to add about 1/4 inch extra. For example, if you want the finished yo-yo to be 1 inch across, make the circle about 2-1/4 inches in diameter.

Then, fold about 1/4 inch of the cloth's edge to the inside and make a gathering stitch all the way around the circle. Just turn the edge under as you go, and run the thread close to the folded edge. Secure the thread firmly where you start, and try to keep the stitches even as you go around.

When you've stitched all the way around the edge, pull the thread tight to gather the cloth and secure it firmly. That's a yo-yo.

Stitch a bunch of yo-yo's together end to end, and you've got a yo-yo garland like this.

The nice thing about yo-yo's is that you can put a dozen cloth circles and a needle and thread in a zip-lock bag and carry them around in your purse. Make a small cardboard H to wind some extra thread on and put it in the bag too. Whenever you have five minutes, make a yo-yo.

Wardrobe advice

Timeless clothing style

The little scrap of paper has been in my sewing files for years. I don't have the name of the publication or the author, but I think I clipped it in the late 1980's or early 1990's.

If, like most of us, you have limited clothing dollars and sewing time, consider investing both in more classic wardrobe pieces to fit your lifestyle. A simple black suit with a slim skirt, gray trousers, a neutral-colored blazer, black and white checked suit, white cotton shirt, white silky blouse and a simple black evening dress provide a workable foundation of timeless pieces.

I am a little dubious about the black and white checked suit, but I can see the logic of it. I think there should also be a pair of black slacks.

It would be very boring if every lady had the same "workable foundation of timeless pieces." The goal is admirable, but fortunately, there are many paths to achieving it.

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Fit to be Dyed

Cloth for cloaks

Today I bought two 4'x15' canvas dropcloths, and I'm in the process of dying them royal blue in my washing machine. I have a large capacity machine, and it does handle 10 yards of 48" fabric. I've put in five packets of Rit Dye (dissolved in hot water), a whole container of salt and a couple tablespoons of laundry detergent. This is a modification of the recipe given inside the box -- I hope it turns out all right.

The cloth has to stay in the dye bath for 30 minutes. Then after the final rinse, it must be washed again with laundry detergent. Then, I have to run the machine through a complete wash and rinse with laundry detergent and chlorine bleach. And even after all that, I think I'll make sure the next wash load is dark colored clothing.

I bought these dropcloths to sew into medieval cloaks. Keely's SCA group is hosting an event ("Shadow of the Wolf") in April, and I'm hoping to make a modest debut as a merchant there. I've been collecting things at the thrift shops that I hope look medieval enough that people will buy them -- brass candlesticks, metal plates, woven market baskets, non-plastic costume jewelry and so on. I also have some wool and linen fabric (important fabrics of the Middle Ages) that I've picked up here and there. Some of it is reclaimed wool that I got by ripping apart large, pleated wool skirts. Pleated skirts can contain an amazing amount of fabric.

A French cloak from about 1580-1600, Wikipedia image.

I hope also to sew a few garments so I can try to sell them. I want to make a few simple generic men's shirts (tunics), a couple of underdresses (chemises), and a couple of cloaks. The cloaks will be made from the canvas that I'm dying. Cotton canvas is not really medieval, but it is a stout natural fabric, and it can be waterproofed.If the clothes don't sell, I'll keep them for the family garb collection. I really should have started this sewing a long time ago, but I've been busy doing lots of other stuff!

I think the SCA and their historic reenactments are something Dennis might get interested in after he retires. After all, it involves a couple of things he enjoys -- history and camping. When you go to these SCA events, you dress in your garb, do, watch or study medieval things, eat medieval food and camp in your tent. If I could make a small amount of money being a merchant, it might be fun to start going to some of the SCA events in this part of the country.