Threads Of Feeling

Today, we visited Yorktown and took a drive on the Parkway.

                     Yorktown Victory Monument

We cut our visit short because the Museumof the Arts in Williamsburg had program featuring Baltimore Album quilts scheduled for 1:45 and it was something I was interested in seeing. 

Keeping in mind that this is Williamsburg, I had to smile at the sign that greeted us upon entering the museum.

Mr. O. Was a sport and came along too, and you know I believe almost every other woman there had a "long-suffering" husband along as well. I'm not sure if all the men would admit it, but I believe they found the tour almost as interesting as the women and even interacted with a few questions. We met in the central court and as soon as our guide arrived she whisked us off to the exibit. We walked up a flight of stairs, through corridors, down hallways and you can imagine my delight when we turned a corner into this area and we were told not to be shy, to get up close, and ask questions and take photos.

I believe there were 11 quilts on display, all in the baltimore Album style. They were from the 1800's and in stunning condition. One was a whole cloth quilt, stitched in album style.

One very large quilt (probably king sized) was done in broderie perse. All needle turn applique and 

Unbelieveably stitched!

Although this particular type of quilt is not my style, nor necessarrily to my liking i can certainly appreciate the workmanship. Well over a hundred pieces of vinework, painstakingly cut and then stitched. It was explained that the lady who made this quilt, probably did all the cutting and design, but because of a painful condition of her hands had her 2 Negro house slaves do the applique, and quilting. You cannot imagine how exquisitely stitched this quilt was! The border was a border print in British chintz, not pieced to the quilt but appliqued on as well.

The remaining  9 were amazing specimans of baltimore album quilting. They all seemed to lean toward the same colour pallette, and our guide seemed to think it was because of the colour trends of the day which changed much like fashion did.

Just the cutting alone would be enough to make me shy away from such a project!  

This particular quilt was a friendship quilt for a Methodist Minister's wife who was to be moving to a different community and she wanted tokens of her friends. Can you see the block on the bottom row? It would seem even back then, that there is always one lady in the group who interprets colour differently. Her reds not as dark, greens much lighter, background much different in intensity than all the others, and even though you may not see it, her block was not the same size as the others so the owner had to add about a 1/4" strip to 2 sides to bring it up to the same size with the other blocks. There just seems to always be a "bad boy" block in the mix that just does not want to play nice with the others. I have to say it made me smile to see how things just haven't changed that much.

In a perfect world, if the guide had said, "Wendy, Christmas is coming up, which one would you like to take home with you?" I think this quilt, made by Sarah Marshall Chandlee Pidgeon would have been my choice.

I love the fabrics, colours and quilting.

This of course is NOT a perfect world, so this beauty had to stay behind. After the lecture part of the program was finished, we were invited to the Education room to make one of the flowers. This is where Mr. O. and I parted ways for a while. The project was a very simple rendition of a flower from one of the quilts. We made them from wool felt, and I turned mine into a brooch.

It needs a little more stitching on the edge, but the only colour thread was white, and I opted to wait and use my own black. A simple keepsake of a lovely experience. The other ladies were mostly all quilters so we chatted a bit and I left a couple with my blog address at their request and we parted ways to meet our patiently waiting husbands.

The title of my blog post refers to another exhibit on loan from London. The London Foundling Hospital's Textile Tokens 1740-1770

If a woman had a child, (infant or otherwise) that she was not able to keep or care for, she would drop her child off at the Foundling Hospital. A form of an orphanage. It was requested that the mother leave a token with the child, so that if she ever came back for the child she could specify what token she left with the child as proof of her identity as the child's mother. Some of the tokens were very simple pieced fabric strips, others messages of love and remorse.

Each foundling child was registed in a ledger with notes on distinguishing marks, as well as clothing worn by the child and tokens left by the mother. We were told of a case of a mother who returned 8 years later to successfully retrieve her son.

What a wonderfully interesting afternoon. We ended our museum tour with a coffee and a pastry in the cafe and then a quick stop at the gift shop. Look what I found!

A book of quilting motifs in authentic Civil War designs, and a layer cake of colonial reprints fabric!

Whoever said museums were boring and dusty, never visited this one!

Unplugged Christmas

In the last week or so as we have walked around, both in Cape Cod and here in Williamsburg, most of the walking has been during daylight hours and I have been noticing the simple seasonal decorating; what I call "unplugged Christmas" decor. In a time when flash, and bling, and twinkle is so popular it is very refreshing to see simple beauty.

While visiting Colonial Williamsburg, we took a few walking tours and were educated a little on "christmas past". It certainly was not the splashy affair we know today. The actual Colonial Williamsburg decorations we think of did not come about until the 1940's. It was determined that if the early Colonists had decorated this is possibly how they would have done it. All speculation of course, but entertaining and certainly very pretty in a simple way. Here are a few (well maybe more than a few, but dang it all, it was hard to narrow it down to just three or four) of my favourites.

Pineapples, peppers, seashells and magnolia leaves.

Greenery, lady apples, hot peppers, seed pods, pomegranates and pheasant feathers. Not a light or a twinkle to be seen, but stunningly beautiful!

I'm like anyone else and can marvel at the light and glitter, but if a choice has to be made, give me natural elements, assembled with creativity any day.

“To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life. ” 
― John Burroughs

Fast Friends

Did you have a pen pal as a child? I did! What an adventure! You got to "meet" someone who often lived in far away places you hoped to visit some day and learn about their lives through the exchange of letters. 

Blogs posts are much like letters. I have many blogs I follow faithfully and almost feel like I am keeping in touch with each of these people. I speak with my "face to face" friends something like this? " Did you see the new house  Mary has moved to?  Lucky girl! Did you see her sewing room!"  and Sally? That quilt she is working on is to die for! ...

I never actually met any of my pen pals as a child, but yesterday I was pretty excited because I got to meet a blogging friend for the first time, a kind of "modern day pen pal". 

There's always a bit of anxiety when meeting someone new. We had spoken in person on Sunday evening and made a plan to meet up, she would take me to her favourite "local" quilt shop. I offered to make lunch and we could come back here and sew for the rest of the day. I was excited!

I made a pot of homemade soup for our lunch, boiled some eggs for egg salad sandwiches, cut some fruit for a fruit salad; I had gingersnaps, home made fruitcake, and tea and coffee. Work area was tidied up, and I was dressed, with my shoes on ready to go. Promptly at nine my new friend pulled up. She came in bearing her contribution to lunch, we greeted each other, I kissed Mr. O goodbye and we were off to a quilt shop! That easy! We chatted along the way, enjoyed the lovely countryside roads, while getting acquainted. It really wasn't like meeting a stranger. We had been friends; we just hadn't met yet!

I'd like to introduce you to my friend, JoAnne!   http://thepatrioticquilter.blogspot.com

JoAnne was kind enough to do the driving and she took me on a 40 min. drive out into the "boonies" as she laughingly described it, to a lovely little quilt shop, well worth the drive. The scenery was lovely and we saw a bald eagle at pretty close range before arriving here at Millstone Quilts.

I only had my camera on the phone and didn't take too many photos, but trust me it was so quaint!

It looked quite small, but was deceiving. There were three floors, jam packed with some yummy fabrics, loads of samples and just oozing with character! Trust me when I say this, because I'm not the only one who says this; in fact, Quilt Sampler magazine in fall 2011 featured this shop and gave a lovely overview of the shop and the history of the gristmill. 

Regina, the shop owner, (yeah, we're old friends too now!) is just as sweet as can be. Friendly, welcoming and helpful with a wonderful sense of humour. 

"Each May, customers from as far away as North Carolina, Maryland and Kentucky bring their finished quilts for display at an outdoor show. About 125 quilts hang on lines stretched tree to tree around the property. "It is so pretty to see the quilts under the trees when the wind blows," Regina says. At the same time, a shop sale encourages quilters to purchase materials for quilts for next year's event, and lunch is on the house: Chris (Regina's husband) serves the customers barbeque, coleslaw, beans and soda in the pavilion he constructed on the grounds." (Taken from the Quilt Sampler article)

Doesn't this sound like a quilt shop you would love to visit? Oh yeah!

Again, I went in with great intentions; get books and patterns to help use your stash at home...and I did; sort of...until I spotted this bundle of woven fabrics

There were just 2 bundles, and there just 2 of us shopping...it was meant to be! Yup, SOLD!

There were great samples everywhere, but my time was limited so here are just a few.

Regina says her favourite colour combo for quilts is blue and white, but I only seemed to have eyes for the red ones.

After shopping was finished

And yes I did get a new book and pattern. When paying for your purchase of $25.00 or more you getto pick a number from the December calendar page and receive the corresponding prize. 

JoAnne paid for her purchases before me and received a 20% of coupon. Regina said I could have that too, or I could pick my own. Maybe I should have taken the offer and run, but there is just a bit of my mom in me and I took a gamble and hoped for the 30% coupon; my prize.... 

The Sidewinder....One of the big prizes apparently. 

When I arrived, I asked Regina if it was okay to take pictures, she said, " you can take pictures of whatever you want, just not me!" 

Sorry Regina, but you were just too sweet to leave out, and really, you are just barely in this shot, just your smile!

I hated to leave, but we had the rest of our day planned so we arrived back at 1, had a bowl of soup and a yummy salad,(thanks JoAnne!) and then spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and sewing. Well JoAnne sewed, I mostly "un-sewed". Apparently I cannot chat and follow a pattern at the same time. ;)

All too quickly the afternoon had slipped away and my new friend was packing up to go home. It was really fun JoAnne, and I wish we lived closer. I just know we would spend more time together. Quilters are just the best people!

Thank you for the lunch salad, it was yummy and I finished it up for supper, and thank you also for the gift of chocolate.

In case you can't read the label, do not be fooled. It does not say Skinny Cow. It is Silly Cow Chocolate Truffle hot chocolate. Yummmm

I'll be sure to share with Sue. We missed you Sue!

We've Moved!

We left home 8 days ago. Spent a few days in Freeport, Maine. Yes, of course we went shopping at L.L.Bean. It's been almost 20 years since we had been there, so we noticed a few changes in town but our main purpose for the stop was Mr. Bean's offerings. Our second day there, Mr. O said he was going to walk into Freeport and left me the vehicle, to follow along later. On my way to meet up with Mr. O, I took a little detour through a quilt shop. I spent a wonderful hour shopping and admiring many of the samples at Cotton Weeds Quilt Shop.

So many cute stitchery patterns.

And the wool projects! Oh my! I was asked only to take general shots not photos of each projects, so these are just a very few of them.

There were loads of needle punch projects and patterns and one of the employees kindly gave me a short demo. I was introduced to this craft almost 50 years ago but it never looked this good! I am proud of the restraint I showed and so I admired the work and moved on.

There were so many patterns I found and loved, but I again showed great restraint and kept my pattern purchases to 2 along with 2 magazines and a couple pieces of neutral fabric, a package of needles and perle cotton.

There ia a quilt-along featured in this issue of American Patchwork and Quilting that I really want to try to take part in, so I "needed" this magazine. Hopefully in the not to distant future I can get to it.

On to LLBean for  a little more shopping and browsing...

Loved some of their displays! Just look at these toques. Do they scream vintage or what?

The next morning we were on "the move" again. Next stop Dennisport, Cape Cod, Mass.

Our new "home" was right on the beach, and our first morning found us walking on a very chilly, windy beach. Brrrr!

More sight seeing and a walk through town offered many photo opps,

Nauset Lighthouse, dressed for the holiday season.

While touring, we stopped at many Thrift shops, ( I am on the hunt for a vintage electric iron; heavy and  if I am really lucky, maybe in red or aqua) I saw so many lovely things and I did buy a small, fairly heavy travel iron, just the right size for retreats, work days or maybe to set up a small ironing station near my machine. My other BIG purchase was a seasonal item to add a little cheer for the next leg of the journey.

We sure needed a little something to induce a smile on our next travel day. While travelling through New York City we were stopped for 5 hours in traffic on the ramps leading to the George Washington Bridge. With daylight driving hours very short, I was not too happy to have spent the best part of the day sandwiched between transports on a boring, very "fumey" highway! Needless to say we will not be adding an I LOVE NEW YORK bumper sticker to our car this trip!

After 16.5 hours on the road we arrived very late at night in the cold and dark, at our next "new home" in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Even though I was tired enough to sleep on a bus station bench for the night, it was sure a pleasure to have such a comfortable place to call home when we arrived.

Yes, I have a place to set up my sewing machine to get a little stitching done in the evenings; as a matter of fact I have a special quilty, fun day planned for tomorrow, but you will have to wait til tomorrow night for details.

Yup! That's me on the front step. I love my "new house"!

The day after arriving here was a miserable, windy, rainy day; perfect for relaxing after a gruelling drive.

We did go out in the late afternoon to get a few supplies, and we shopped at a "new to me" grocery store. Very interesting grocery shopping...

Trader Joes. I liked it!

The drive back from the grocery store. I didn't like it so much!

Sunday we spent the day at Busch Gardens Christmas Festivities. The theme for the day was lights and music. Their information pamplet claims they have over 6 million lights! Very mesmerizing! 

I'm pretty sure they have that tree well lit.

Don't these tree decorations look good enough to eat?

Today was a total opposite look at Christmas. We visited Colonial Williamsburg, with a historic look at the history of Christmas customs. This was definitely an "unplugged Christmas" and I have to say much more appealing to my tastes.

I have some wonderful photos, but I can't seem to get them from my camera to my Ipad and my IT guy is sound asleep in bed (which is where I should be)

Tomorrow is a big day again, so I'll have more to share. See you then.

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.

Norman Vincent Peale