Quill Cottage is hosting an “I Remember Laura” blogathon on Mondays through the month of June in memory of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author if the “Little House” series of books. Each week will focus on a particular theme: this week is quilts, week 2 will feature buttons, week 3, family recipes, and week 4, books and music. There will also be an art swap going on each week in connection with the theme: Click on the picture for more information.
I don’t remember when I was first introduced to the “Little House” series. I must have read some of them as a child because I was familiar with some of the stories, and in me early married years I bought and read the whole series and thoroughly loved them. I think I have read them more than once and probably will again.
This week’s theme is Quilting Memories, and participants can be found here. I appreciate that in Laura’s time girls were taught needle arts at an early age, and I wish that trend continued. It was a necessity then: there were no Wal-Marts in which to but inexpensive bedding. But besides the necessity, it was a way to teach industriousness, neatness, and even math skills. Years ago I read a quote from an unnamed pioneer woman that went something like, “I make my quilts warm to keep my family from freezing. I make them beautiful to keep my heart from breaking.” That resonated with me. We can kind of romanticize pioneer life in our minds, but it had to be bleak at times, starting completely from scratch, knowing you had to focus on the essentials first before beautifying (we went through this with our fixer-upper of a first house. It got discouraging having to deal with the roof and electricity and hot water heaters before ever getting to painting, wallpapering, and decorating. I can imagine this feeling was multiplied in pioneer days). There would have been the hope and excitement of what was to come, but there had to have been long, tiring, bleak days along the way, especially during the winter. So quilts and other needle arts were also a way to beautify the home and exercise creativity.
I am afraid I don’t come from a family of crafters, much less quilters. I took one adult ed. class in quilting but never really went on with it from there. I love and admire quilting, though: I remember going to one quilt show and just being in awe of the detail, creativity, and work involved.
Besides looking “homey,” quilts are also a great way to incorporate a color scheme into a room. That is what I had in mind with this store-bought quilt from Wal-Mart several years ago. Our bedroom in our previous home had pink, blue, and green wallpaper which the previous owner had installed. Those colors are my favorites, and all the wall decorations and such we collected during that time were in those colors. When we moved and I needed to replace our bedspread anyway, I could find bedding in several different combinations of two of those colors, but not all three in any one set, until I found this quilt.
I just realized that one of the pillow shams is missing in this picture. 😳 For some reason my husband’s came apart and we’ve just been using regular pillow cases.
And even though this isn’t quilted, this is a bedspread crocheted my my great Aunt Dot: it is the only thing like it I have passed down from family:
And even though this isn’t part of the theme this week, another of the needle arts Laura and her sister Mary had to work on were samplers. In our early married years my decorating preferences leaned toward the early American style (possibly even as a result of reading Laura’s books, I cant remember), and it was in that time frame that I started this sampler.
Back to quilting: the only other items I own that relate to quilting are a pillow I did in that one class I mentioned, which I don’t think I have any more, and these Paula Vaughn prints my husband bought for me years ago.
It’s hard to tell from this photo, but each print focuses on one aspect of needle arts. The third one features a quilt.
I have always wanted to make a quilt like this one, but I honestly don’t know if I have the skills. 🙂 Quilting tends to be more exact than a lot of other crafts I do.
Quilts are prominent in many of Paula’s designs, and this combines quilts and cross stitch in this gift my sister made for me several years ago.
Stray Thoughts 
I love the picture of the swing and rocker on the front porch. Its not to late to take up quilting. Other than the rail quilts I made for the grands and the sunbonnet Sue I put together and had quilted for my daughter when she was in college, I’ve not done any until recently. I’m thrilled that she now wants to learn too. I’m thinking of getting my youngest granddaughter started next visit with some 9 patch piecing.
Calm My Anxious Heart was a gift at a retreat several years ago and I had not done it until now. See “An answered prayer”. I know that God had a reason for it just hanging out in my bookshelf. The other book was chosen by my Christian Women’s Prayer Ladies. Whenever we meet monthly, we read aloud from a book before our round robin prayer. We’ve done some good ones but none that I longed to do as much as this one. I asked Honey Bear which one I was like and he said a combination of the two. I think most women are. I think I’m more like Mary now than I used to be. I don’t mind preparing ahead of time or buying ready made so I can enjoy spending time with family or guests when they visit.
Mama Bear
Thanks for sharing your beautiful thoughts on quilting. I really appreciate the pioneer woman’s quote. Right now, our family is living in an unfinished house. Lots of “practical” things have had to come before painting and decorating – even organizing efficiently. It is easy to become discouraged. But I have found solace in having a beautiful quilt on my bed and being able to display some of my teapot collection in the small area of the house in which we are currently living.
Your quilt is beautiful. Such a peaceful room. I like your sampler in the wall too.
Thanks for your lovely post.
I love Paula Vaughn’s items. Your prints are lovely!
interesting post
we are studying the Little House books in home schooling at the moment
Hello Barbara,
I so remember reading aloud together the Little House Books with my daughter when she was about 8. I think that sticks out as her favorite ‘unit’ of homeschooling we did. A funny story…while studying Laura Ingalls, we decided to try and make butter by buying the cream and putting it in a jar and shaking it until it turned into butter. Well, by accident, I bought whipping cream. Needless, to say, after shaking and shaking, and wondering why it wasn’t looking like butter, I realized my mistake! We just added a little sugar and vanilla and had ‘homemade’ whipped cream on fruit that night. It was the thought, right?!
God bless,
Brenda 🙂
Thank you for sharing all these beautiful pictures!
What beautiful needlework!
Love the quilt and your prints are just precious.
Don’t you just love the artwork of Paula Vaughn? So homey and inviting! What an interesting post you put together! Thank you for taking the time to share and have a blessed weekend!
You are a quilt lover who is waiting for the perfect time to create like me! Ha! The day will come, I’m sure of it. I enjoyed seeing your lovely treasures. I have two of the store bought variety of quilts and find them charming and the next best thing.
Everything about this post is lovely, Barbara.
Barbara,
I loved the quote you used in this post, it aptly captures the pioneer spirit of the women of that time. I love your purchased quilt, I have a couple of these myself and even though they are not hand made, they are no less beautiful! I also enjoyed how you expanded your post to include other needle arts the crochet bedspread is beautiful and the the sampler is sure to be a family treasure!
Thank you so much for sharing and being a part of the blog-a-thon! I can’t wait to see what you next post will be!
Blessings,
Miss Sandy