Woman's Work

" A Womans Work is NEVER Done"
50" x 65"

I designed this quilt right after my "Grandma"s Kitchen". It just kind of led into it because some of the things I wanted to add to the kitchen quilt had to do with cleaning, such as the broom and dustpan. I guess cleaning goes along with it because a big part of the kitchen is keeping it clean!!

I grew up in a house where Saturday Chores were STRICTLY observed. When every Saturday morning came around, just like clockwork- my sisters and I would draw out of a bowl, cleaning assignments that had been written on strips of paper by my Mother. These chores along with the cleaning of our bedrooms were to be completed that day BEFORE we could even think about playing with friends. Our work would get an inspection from my Father (yes, he was in the army for several years) and then he would give us permission to play. I always envied my little brothers because their chores were outside helping my dad ( I grew up on a small farm) and even though I knew that it was very hard work I was sure that any work outside was better than being indoors with my 3 older sisters working in the house. I was a bit of a tom- boy and I loved to be outside. That still hasn't changed- I'd rather be in my garden than clean house!

It was really fun to draw these blocks and choose the fabric for each item. Besides, what other way could I design, name and package my own line of cleaning products? On the bottom of each one, instead of the lbs and ounces, I put a scripture reference which goes along with what I named the product, giving it kind of a double meaning! This was really fun for me, but if you're not into scriptures like I am you could simply leave them off. Here is a list of all of them;
RENEW 100 % clean & pure laundry soap-
Create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew
a right spirit within me.
Psalms 51;10

SUDZ dishwashing liquid-
Cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter,
that the outside of them may be clean also.
Matthew 23;26

SPARKLE scouring powder-
And let all things be done in
cleanliness before me.
Doctrine & Covenants 42;41

SHINE furniture polish-
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament:
and they that turn many to righteousness
as the stars for ever and ever.
Daniel 12;3

STIF spray starch-
Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ,
having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.
Wherefore, if ye shall press forward,feasting upon the word of Christ,
and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the father;
Ye shall have eternal life.
2 Nephi 31;20

I also put a scripture ref between the words GOOD and HOUSEKEEPING-
She looketh well to the ways of her household,
and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31;27

I stitched the words "Cleanliness is next to Godliness"
above the roll of paper towels and contrary to popular belief, it is not in the scriptures, it is a quote by Benjamin Franklin!

As you all know by now, I LOVE to take everyday objects, group them together into a theme and turn them into a work of art. To me, this process has a special meaning by lending value to those things that we see or that we use or that we do everyday that so often go unnoticed. I especially think that this is true when it comes to " A Womans Work". The things we do as women everyday to take care of our homes and try to keep them in order is a constant struggle (for me anyway!) and often times taken for granted by our families- but work always has great value, even menial tasks that come without praise or notice. As I went through the process of designing this quilt, I have had a desire to appreciate housework more. Instead of feeling "overloaded" with laundry or becoming frustrated by handprints all over the glass on my front door "AGAIN"- I've tried to have just a bit more patience as I have come to realize what it would mean to have no little handprints being left everywhere in my home, leaving "evidence" of where they have been and what they have been getting into! I have even come to appreciate those "large hands" leaving whiskers in the sink or socks on the floor! Considering the alternative, I'm happy to count my blessings and just KEEP CLEANING!

It was in this quilt that I first decided to use tiny black ric-rac for the cord on the vacuum cleaner and the iron. I loved the results so much that I use it for the cord in every quilt that I have designed since!

Of course I added an apron in this quilt also! You can't clean without an apron!

I used GIANT ric-rac in the border of this quilt. I love how it gives a vintage look!

I designed this quilt to hang in my laundry room but it would also look great in the kitchen hallway next to the cleaning closet! Sorry there are no childhood pictures of me cleaning--I guess some things are just too mundane to photograph! I hope that you enjoy making this quilt and invite you to send me comments about how you feel about cleaning and pictures of your blocks or finished Womans Work quilts.

Valentine

Thanksgiving

Snowman

Scarecrow

Quilter's Life

Grandma's Kitchen

Grandma's Kitchen
54" x 69"

I designed this quilt right after I finished teaching my "Apron Club" quilt. I had agreed to teach the aprons on a monthly basis over a years time, I was actually worried about filling the class because I didn't know if there were others out there who loved aprons as much as I did. (at that time, you couldn't find apron patterns or the apron theme anywhere!) I felt pretty alone in my love of aprons and all things vintage because back then there were no blogs either. You can imagine my delight and surprise to see so MANY women from all over sign up for my class.

It was so fun to meet once a month to applique and talk about our grandmas. I would bring many of the aprons from my collection and many of my students would bring show and tell which consisted of photos of their grandmas and an apron or two and some other things that once belonged to them. So many of the items and conversations were centered around memories of their grandmas which obviously led to the subject of their grandmas kitchens.

When the year was nearly over, my students expressed the desire to keep meeting (we had really bonded as a group and formed friendships- we called ourselves the apron club, which is how I named the quilt) They asked if I would design another quilt and continue teaching it on a monthly basis. That is when the idea of my "Applique Clubs" came about. I started a new club with a new quilt which of course was the obvious choice of "Grandma's Kitchen". I still design and teach that way. I only teach each of my quilts once and I design them as I go along throughout the club. Of course I know what the quilt will look like, but my students don't- they find out that day when they show up for class and pick up their kit. That's when they know which block they will be working on and what it looks like. I find that the element of surprise appeals to them and I really enjoy designing this way. My clubs last for about a year (give or take a few months) and when the class is over, the pattern for that quilt is available on the market.

I am so grateful to my students whom I consider friends. I love meeting new women when each applique club starts and continue to enjoy those who join every club that I offer and are "veterans" of my clubs. They could probably teach my designs better than I can and often help me when there are so many students that I can't get to at once.

When I designed this quilt, the first block I did was the old mixer just like my moms and grandma's. It's the kind that I learned to use as a girl. I added a green jade-ite bowl to the one on my block for an extra punch of color to go with the black and white.

I really love the "kitch" style which is very 1950's and is how I remember both of my grandmothers kitchens. It was fun to add some of the things that I remember and add the details with embroidery. I added the task and day of the week embroidery to represent the floursack dishtowels that were so popular back then. Neither of my grandmothers hands and eyes are steady enough any longer to make these, but my mother still does and in fact, she embroidered me a set for my birthday last year. They are days of the week (my favorite) with runaway dishes. She also made a set for each of her other daughters and each daughter-in-law along with grandaughters and grandaughters-in-law. WOW! My mother is amazing.

Of course I put an apron in the quilt- our grandmas couldn't do without one and neither could this quilt!! I added the hot pads along with the crochet one because they used to make hot pads with left over fabric in all different shapes and designs. Patterns for these hot-pads could be found in the paper, magazines or even in the embroidery pattern envelopes. They were often made for charity bazaars, gifts and of course- their own kitchens. I have a collection of these also in my kitchen and especially have several crochet ones. I really like the red & white, green & white, yellow & white, etc..

I added a few other things that I remember from their kitchens that we don't really use anymore. They are the depression glass hand juicer, floursifter, eggbeater and wire dishrack. And don't forget the jello mold- we used to use those all the time for Sunday dinner or church socials when I was a girl.

Do you remember the tins for flour, sugar? They had such cute floral patterns on them. Some were decorated by adding decals. Everything for the kitchen back then was all about bright and cheerful colors with a lot of black in floor patterns and small appliances.

Those were the days when the kitchen really was the heart of the home. Everyone would gather there to visit and of course-there was also a lot of cooking and baking going on in both of my grandma's kitchens! That's where I would always find them. I made a block that you can write your own grandmas recipe on the card next to the recipe file.

I also added a few scriptures here and there because I love scriptures and there are a few that remind me of my grandmas and kitchens.

You can put whatever you want in the quart canning jar- I chose fabric that reminded me of canned peaches! My grandmothers always canned everything! My mother canned whatever my Dad grew in his garden and fruit trees and that was A LOT! When we were old enough, we all helped and I still do it today and I am teaching my children to continue on the tradition. You can't buy anything that even comes close to that home-canned taste!

The lemon-ade pitcher and cakestand remind me of all the fancy dishes they had in their cupboards and used for entertaining. They NEVER made a cake in a 9x12. That just would not be presentable!

I added the mixing bowls because they had so many different colors and styles back then that I love!! The yelloware bowl with the blue stripe is just like the one that my Mom learned to cook with and my grandma gave it to me!! I keep it on my kitchen shelf along with many other vintage finds. The pyrex bowl at the top of the stack is just like the one that my Mom got as a wedding gift. They came in a set of 3 and had lids on them. Yes- I love pyrex too!

Can you see the block with the tin cookie cutter? My grandma had a lot of these different shaped cutters with red or green handles. The one I drew is just like one my Mom had and my sisters and I used as girls when baking.

We used to gather a lot at my grandma's house's for dinner. I have lots of wonderful memories of Aunts, Uncles and cousins being there too. I also added a cookie jar because that was the first place my brothers, sisters, cousins and I would go when we went in the kitchen!

What about your memories of your grandma or mother and her kitchen? Would you like to share? Please add your comments! I would love to hear from you.

I added scallops and ric-rac on the border of the quilt because it looked feminine and vintage. I hope that you enjoy making this quilt and it brings back a lot of good memories for you. I would love to see your blocks or your quilt when complete!

Girl Talk

Gingerbread

Cottage Garden

Cottage Garden
50" x 65"

This quilt was an obvious choice for me to design because I LOVE everything about gardening. I even love the dirt believe it or not! I get really excited in the spring when the soil is perfect for planting and it smells fresh and full of nutrients for growing. I impatiently wait for the way the soil crumbles in my hand with just the right texture, which means it's ready for planting.
This might sound really strange to those of you who don't enjoy gardening- but to those gardeners out there; you know EXACTLY what I mean!
I named the quilt Cottage Garden because that is the kind that I grow and the kind that really speaks to me. Cottage means not quite so formal, with abundant plantings and LOTS of flowers with a good mix of fruits on the vine, flowering shrubs, herbs, veggies and a few shade and fruit trees.
The first block that I designed was the lawnmower. I drew the old reel kind because they have so much more personality and that’s what I remember using as a girl when mowing my section of the lawn (my Dad divided that chore up between us because we had so much grass). My husband still uses a reel mower to cut our front yard. He's very particular about his lawn and likes the front yard to look just like a golf green!
Next came the drawing of the hand tools- they go right along with my love of turning everyday objects into art. A wheelbarrow for hauling, a pitchfork for turning the soil, a spade for planting and pruners for the upkeep of what you just planted!
Of course, after good soil, a plant needs water which is where the watering can and the garden hose and spicket come in. I drew the red spicket to look like the ones that we had on my Dads farm. I remember finally getting big enough to turn them on and off for watering.
The 3rd thing that a plant needs is SUN. I drew a big one and put it next to the moon and the stars in the border.
O. K. What to wear in the garden? Who says you can't look good while doing yardwork? I really wanted to do an apron in this quilt also because I do wear one while I'm gardening but I couldn't fit it in without making the quilt HUGE! So I thought I could appliqué one on the back for the label- and so can you! I added boots for mud (and irrigation), a nice garden hat with a wide brim for sun protection and of course, really cute gloves.
I had fun doing the garden gloves. To me, these are a necessity while gardening, I wouldn't want to ruin my nails (after all, I am a girl). I drew some up that I thought would be fun to wear. The embellishments are cute too.
Of course I added a birdhouse and bees with a beehive. You know I like bees, I even named my company after them! Bees are also very important for the garden. They pollinate everything. Without bees there wouldn't be any gardens. I did have to add a few more bugs. The two that I like are ladybugs and butterflies. I HATE slugs, grasshoppers and ants but they're in the quilt too! (Whoops, I forgot to mention the worm which is a good kind of worm). Speaking of things that I've included in the quilt but despise- let’s talk about the dandelion and morning glory (bad kind) that I've added. I spend a lot of time in my garden pulling out both of these obnoxious weeds! (And to think I used to pick them and give them to my Mom for the kitchen windowsill).

Here's a photo of me with my 3 older sisters. I'm holding a dandelion- apparently this is upsetting to my sister Tammy who is dramatically
drying her tears with a hanky!
I added lots of veggies that I grow now in my garden and my Dad grew in his. My Dads garden of course was MUCH bigger than mine as he was raising a large family and had plenty of land. He has never been able to let "good fertile soil" go to waste , so he always planted seeds in everything that didn't have sheep, horses, cows or pigs on it. He always had the most beautiful gardens! One on each side of the house and fruit trees all around. He always bordered his vegetable garden with big yellow marigolds to help keep the bugs out (they don’t like the smell). Some years he would plant a row of GIANT sunflowers (russian mammoth variety) along the front. Anyway, they seemed like giants to a little girl. He sure produced a lot of food in those gardens. All of us kids would spend our summer mornings up at the crack of dawn picking peas or beans trying to get them done before it got really hot. I love fresh shelled peas, but what I really love are fresh tomatoes- warmed from the sun and delicious! I remember when I was a little girl, that me and my brothers Morgan and Brian would just sit in the tomato patch and eat them right off the vine. My parents didn't mind unless they were the early crop and there wouldn't be any left for the supper table! By the time fall came around I was sick of tomatoes after picking and canning bushels of them- and then during the winter would long for them again.
I put a red potato in the quilt because that’s what Dad grew and would sell in 50 lb bags during harvest time. I also spent a lot of time planting and picking up potatoes with my brothers and sisters.
I put a chicken in the quilt because I love chickens and they seem to go with gardens. I would have a chicken or two in my garden now if I wasn't afraid that my 15 lb. cat Oliver would hunt them down and kill them. We've had him for 13 years and he thinks he's a watchdog; he doesn't like any other animals in our yard.
My Dad raised chickens as a boy but not on his own farm- He said they were too messy and they smelled. We traded milk or cream for fresh eggs with nearby farmers.
I "planted" a lot of flowers in this quilt and included some of my favorites, although whenever I'm asked which flower is my favorite, I always say "whichever one is in bloom!" I especially love old fashioned flowers like single hollyhocks and pansies. My favorite roses are the old fashioned english and my husband and I grow several David Austin varieties in our garden.
I stitched a few sayings about gardens between the blocks and of course added a couple of my favorite scriptures about gardens. I also added a glass of lemon-ade because we all need to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature- what better way?
I finished the quilt with a fence around the garden. I have a white picket fence around mine and I really like the way fences define an outdoor space.

I hope you enjoy this quilt. It's really close to my heart. I know I talk a lot about my childhood memories but that’s why I love gardens! Aren't we all a product of our childhood? Please send me your own comments on gardening or as always, I would LOVE to see pics of your gardens or your Cottage Garden blocks or quilts.

Here are a few more photos of me and my sisters out in the pasture with our "pets". I told you at the beginning of this post that I love dirt and as you can see, I spent a lot of time outside playing in it. I'm no stranger to making mudpies and climbing trees!!!

Apron Club

APRON CLUB
56" x 68"

Do you like aprons like I do? Both of my grandmothers are still living and yes- still wearing aprons. My mother wears them, I do and my daughter also.
WOW!!! 4 generations of apron love!
I have collected aprons for several years and I have over 100 in my collection which consists of mostly aprons from the 1930's thru the 1950's. I have mostly picked them up at garage sales and Thrift Shops. I somehow have not been able to leave them there all alone to sit on a shelf or to get lost in a box full of odds and ends- waiting to be thrown out at the end of the garage sale. I think to myself every time on those occasions- Why don't these family members realize what a treasure they have in these aprons? They are a part of their mothers (or grandmothers) creativity and personality, not to mention fashion sense! In my humble opinion throwing them out is like throwing out a piece of the past.
Aprons are wonderful and represent the women in our lives and how things were for them. Is there anyone out there who can remember something about their mother or grandmothers and their aprons? A LOT of women have shared these memories with me. On the occasion when my quilt is pointed out to a man, they too get that look of nostalgia and tell me about their memories. I would LOVE to hear yours!!!

The style, colors and texture of aprons really speak to me. Aprons really are a work of art. Don't you just love the unique appliques; all of the creative ways to stitch on ric-rac; all of the embroidery that is so well done and unique; and all the bias tape they used- oh so many memories of learning to sew that stuff on!
( i can still hear my mom saying "always use matching thread" and "slow down on those curves!") I grew up wearing aprons and my first real sewing project was an apron for 4H Club. I remember modeling it on the runway afterwards!

I apparently received my first apron on my first birthday which you can see in this photo; I'm sure that my Mom made it. Don't you just love the fabric!!
I would love to see any of your aprons (new or inherited), blocks or quilts or hear of your stories! I hope that you enjoy making this quilt as much as I did. Although I must warn you; there are so many great reproduction fabrics out there to choose from, you might have a really hard time choosing which ones to use!!