Learning to Embroider

I'm in the throws of spring cleaning, so I was happy to find this piece of embroidery. It give me an excuse to stop work and come type this entry.




I was so anxious to share it with you, I didn't even press it. Actually I'll give any excuse not to iron!

It is one of my first embroidery pieces that I did with my Grandmother, Doris Marvel. She taught my sister and me to sew back in the 1960s and early 70s. As you can see by the stitches, I had a lot to learn.

The piece is unfinished and badly stained in one corner. I'm not sure what happened to the rest of my early handwork. I was particularly fond of her hot iron transfers of dancing vegetables. I remember stitching a lot of them.

Even if the finished embroidery isn't so good, the memories of learning to stitch with Grandma are. In fact, my very last meeting with my grandmother was three days before she died. By then I had moved on to hand appliqué and wasn't doing a lot of embroidery. I went to visit her, but knew that she wouldn't be able to hold a conversation. I brought my stitching along to pass the time while I sat with her.

She didn't know who I was, but she noticed that I wasn't using a thimble. She let me have it! "A thimble is important to protect you and your work"... and so on. It was our last conversation, but I am glad we had that connection.

I also found this early picture of her. It isn't the Grandmother I remember, but she does look good. She hated to be photographed, so finding pictures of her is not easy.



Here is a picture of her from the 70s. This is how she looked when she was teaching me to sew.


If you want to embroider with your children or grandchildren, there are some great beginner kits now available. They start out with a simple running stitch, much easier than the stem stitch that I was butchering in the piece above. Click here to see some of the kits.

But most importantly, keep stitchin!

Sunbonnet Sue in 1931

When I started putting Sunbonnet Sue information online ten years ago, I didn't have a lot of information. There are not many books about the history of Sue or how the pattern has evolved. I have a unique system for research. I buy things! That way I have quilts and books to draw my research from.

When I see a unique quilt, pattern or item on ebay, I try and buy it. I search the textiles at yard sales and look in old book shops. Recently I came across this clipping.

It is from the Jun 13, 1931 issue of "Capper's Weekly". This magazine has been published for 125 years out of Topeka Kansas. According to http://www.cappers.com/information-cappers, the magazine promotes American values. What could be more American than Sunbonnet Sue?

The article shows 12 sunbonnet sues busily engaged in summer activities. At the end of the article is tells where to send away to get these images printed on fabric with different colored inks. Twelve of the blocks (9 inches square) can be ordered for 35 cents.

I own a partial set of these blocks, so I was excited to find their history. I've been calling them penny squares, but at 12 for 35 cents, they are really 3 cent squares! By finding this clipping, I can now properly date the squares. I also know who printed them.

Here is what the article says:

Sunbonnet babies, working, playing, eating, cooking, visiting as the decorate Baby's crib quilt are boon companions for the little fellow, for they teach lessons of thrift and industry and are ever interesting sources for story-making. Twelve embroidered quilt blocks, each one a different sunbonnet baby picture, each 9 inches square, make up this clever nursery quilt. The blocks are stamped in colors on fine white muslin, the color stamping serving as a guide for the placing of embroidery floss, which is worked in the simplest stitches -- outline and a French knot or two. Now that school is out and Little Sister is at a loss for something to do, start her out at her first fancy-work and her first quilt. Hers will be a double pleasure -- the pride of workmanship, the added joy of making something really nice for Baby Brother or Wee Sister. Or by joining the embroidered blocks with strips of the Little Maker's favorite color, the quilt will do nicely for the little girl's own bed. The dozen blocks stamped for embroidery cost only 35 cents and the work is so little, that I'm sure if there's a child in your home, no matter what size or sex, there'll soon be a sunbonnet baby quilt too. Order the Series R.D. from Needwork Services, Capper's Weekly, Topeka, Kan.

What a great find! I love matching up textile items I have with documentation that explains how old they are and where they were made.

Modern patterns are still being printed that use these same designs. I carry some at SunbonnetSue.com. Click here to see a list of the patterns currently in stock.

Mend on Wednesday

I was lucky enough to win a collection of "Penny Squares" on ebay. As the seller mentioned, they are in rough shape.

They are stained, dirty and poorly stitched. They are not a complete set either. I am still happy to have them and the Wednesday block intrigued me. Sunbonnet Sue is mending as she rocks a baby's cradle with her foot. She appears to be mending pantyhose, but they weren't invented until well after this block was done. They are probably some sort of leggings for the baby.



Her bonnet style is different than the bonnets drawn by Bertha Corbett. It looks like the early postcards done by Bernhardt Wall. So I went looking through some Wall postcards and found this one from 1905.



And there is the image from my penny square! She is mending a baby's romper.

So I decided to make a redwork pattern from the design. Here is a link to the PDF file.

I simplified the hands in my drawing. The original penny square had fingers. I'll have to keep looking for more days of the week.

Enjoy,

Kim

A Visit to Pieceful Quilting

I stopped in Pieceful quilting yesterday to see all the entries in the old bag challenge. I didn't win, and once I got to see the other quilts, it was clear why. Wow. The creativity meter was off the dial! Pieceful quilting put pictures of the quilts on their blog. If you look closely, you can see mine at the bottom: Click for Pieceful's Blog

While I was in the store I fell in love with a Block of the Month pattern. It is being given as a machine applique class. You go one Saturday a month and make a block. I've never been formally taught machine applique, so I signed up! Here is the quilt:

It is called "Be Attitudes", a play on one of my favorite verses in the bible. So I'm starting yet another project. I know that my sewing skills will improve!

That's all for now,

Kim

Old Bag Challenge finished

Yea! I finished the old-bag challenge with time to spare. Here is what my quilt looks like:

I used a lot of the junk that was in the bag. I even made a Sunbonnet Sue doll out of the red hat charm. It was fun. The quilt is 20" wide, so it isn't a big one.

Starting a New Challenge

I know I'm supposed to be finishing up projects this year. I am making progress on my parent's anniversary quilt. I have the 49 "Puss in the Corner" blocks finished and now I'm working on the flying geese units for the star blocks.

My local quilt store, Pieceful Quilting, is doing a challenge. I decided to make a challenge quilt. It is called the "Old Bag" challenge because you get an old bag filled with fabric to make the quilt. Well my bag had only one fat quarter of fabric and lots of trim and buttons.

Of course, I'm making a Sunbonnet Sue quilt. I using 30s reproduction fabrics in green and orange to go with the supplied fabric. I'll use their fabric as the border and as some yo-yos.

Here is a picture of what was in my bag:

I'll post pictures as I get the blocks done.

Kim

Hitting the Ground Running - 2008

It is New Year's Day and it is time to get going on a new year, a clean slate. I try to make one big resolution each year. In 2006 it was lose weight. I lost 30 pounds that year and got back into a size 8!

In 2007 I resolved to start my long desired Master's degree. I'm happy to report that I'm a student at Stony Brook University with 4 classes (12 credits) towards my degree already completed. Classes start again for me on Thursday, so this is really a two year resolution!

Unfortunately as I was studying, the pounds crept back on! I guess I have to work on losing them again! I'm back up 30 pounds. The nice slim figure I resolved to get it gone, but at least a Master's degree can't be taken away!

So my 2008 resolution is all about finishing! Finish the degree I started, finish the diet and finish some of the quilts I've started. Yesterday I made a table runner for a lady I work with. She always sets up a wonderful black history month display, so I used some of my collected African fabric to make the table runner.



It is finished! I give it to her tomorrow.

Today I worked on a quilt I started a year ago. My parent celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on December 1, 2006. At the party I had squares of fabric for the guests to sign. I started the quilt of 50 stars. Either the center of the star will be a square from the party or a photograph. Today I sewed for most of the day. I need to make 50 star blocks and 49 "puss in the corner" blocks for the quilt. Here is what would fit on my design board.

I'm really pleased with how it is coming out! We're Irish, so I decided to sprinkle little bits of Irish novelty fabric. Do you think it detracts? I'm wondering if I should leave out the "kiss me I'm Irish" fabric.

Anyway, I've working again...

Happy New Year.