The Runaway Quilt, Elm Creek Quilts: A book review

In this fourth book of the series, The Runaway Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts Series #4) opens with Sylvia Bergstrom having received news that her family's connections with the Underground Railroad may have been more than what she'd originally been told. When a quilt which was most likely made by a resident of Elm Creek more than a century ago ends up in the hands of the descendants of slave owners, Sylvia is driven to determine the truth, and to find out the extent of what part her family played in history during the pre-Civil War era.

Sylvia tackles a task she'd been putting off for a long time--she goes to the attic and begins searching through over a century's worth of family heirlooms to find clues to her past. She discovers a trunk with quilts and a journal, written by her great-grandfather's sister, her aunt Gerda. Sylvia is delighted and reassured to find confirmation of many of the family stories which had been handed down through the generations. Her family did indeed conduct a station on the Underground Railroad. However, they came to be stationmasters in a rather unexpected manner. The journal holds other surprises, as well.

The story is told in a series of flashbacks, with Sylvia moving between the past and the present. Her friends are supportive of her journey, and Elm Creek Manager Summer even quietly conducts library research to one day share with Sylvia. Sylvia's relationship with her suitor and childhood friend, Andrew, continues to grow and blossom. Other recurring characters make an occasional appearance. But, clearly, this particular book of the series is about Sylvia.

This book also makes reference to the myth of quilt codes being used on the Underground Railroad. The author, however, chose not to support too strongly the fabricated "quilt clues," only occasionally making reference to these unfounded elements. Rather, she opted to use the concept of a picture quilt, showing the way like a map, not unlike a well known children's book published not many years before this novel. Perhaps this concept should have been left out altogether, as there is no evidence that such picture quilts existed either, but the author at least made somewhat of an attempt to make clear to the reader that all of these concepts are not historically accurate.

Nonetheless, it is another light-hearted, enjoyable read in the series. The Runaway Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts Series #4) will keep you in suspense, and brings you to a couple of very surprising and unexpected revelations. If you like fiction, and you like to quilt, you will like this book!

The Cross-Country Quilters, Elm Creek Quilts: A book review

Book three of the series, The Cross-Country Quilters introduces us to new quilters. As suggested by the title, these quilters make their way from various regions of the country to Elm Creek for a quilt retreat. Naturally, the established characters make appearances throughout the book. Sylvia is on the mend from an occurrence in the second book. Sarah and Matthew, who have now assumed a greater role in the management of Elm Creek Manor, are seen from time to time, as well, with issues between them growing.

We are introduced to women who are unlikely to become friends, were it not for their Cross Country Quilters group, but yet form friendships. One character, Julia, is making a last-ditch effort to revive her failing movie career by learning to quilt for a part in a movie. Two other quilters, Donna and Megan, met on the Internet and have the opportunity to meet in person at Elm Creek Manor at the quilt retreat. Vinnie, a spunky octogenerian, is hoping to pair her grandson with Donna.

We are introduced to quilters of color in this book. Grace, a world famous quilter, has been unable to quilt for several months. While she states that she has a severe case of 'quilter's block,' the reality is that she is hiding MS, a debilitating illness, which robs her of her ability to hold scissors or to sew fabric pieces together. We also meet Judy, whose soldier father abandoned her and her mother not long after she was born. Judy has recently been contacted by her father's other family, and is debating traveling to meet them.

As always, there is a healthy mix of triumphs and trials, successes and failures in the book. In a society where a large segment of the population is nearing retirement age, dealing with issues of aging and illness are very appropriate. It is also appreciated that quilters of color are included, as well. Also, there are parenting challenges, marital problems, physical illnesses (other than MS), just to name of few. Cross-Country Quilters is an enjoyable read.

A not-so-local quilt shop

I visited a local quilt shop this past weekend, one that was not-so-local to me. But local to someone, right?

My husband wanted to go to a computer show, and I did not have a problem with that, because that meant being able to go to another LQS! So...ROAD TRIP!!!

I had found the shop online, and in checking out their website, I saw that they published a few of their own quilt patterns. And a couple were absolutely adorable! I bought one pattern, and photographed a quilt of another, shown below:

Is that not the absolute cutest thing you have ever seen? And there was so much cuteness in this shop, they could hang this one in the bathroom. Now, that gives one pause, wouldn't you agree?

Charity quilts: Late December 2008

After the charity quilts that I mentioned in my first December update, I added seven more. That brings my personal total for December to thirteen. Add to that the ones that my younger daughter sewed, and that makes fifteen!

Round Robin, Elm Creek Quilts: A book review

In this second book of the Elm Creek Quilts series, Round Robin (Elm Creek Quilts Series #2)

we are permitted a more in-depth look at some of the characters which were mentioned in passing in the first book. We see Sylvia, the lady of Elm Manor, once again; we also see Sarah and Matt, who have moved in to provide assistance with running Elm Manor's quilt retreats. As I'd predicted, the characters do indeed continue from book to book in the series Each book introduces the reader to other characters more in-depth, or perhaps reintroduces additional elements in the lives of characters that have already been explored at great length.

We learn more about Sarah as we explore her mother's life through flashbacks, which are common in this book, as well. In order to more fully understand Sarah, it is necessary to understand her mother, as their dysfunctional relationship is a major part of Sarah's life. Also through the use of flashbacks, we learn more of Sylvia's life as we explore the character of Andrew, introduced in the first book. As their friendship is renewed, we learn of Andrew's crush on Sylvia since boyhood, and how he longs for a now-available Sylvia to be a part of his life.

But that is enough of giving away details in this book. Other characters who we examine more closely are other Elm Creek quilters, such as Bonnie, Diane, Judy, Gwen, and Agnes. What is much appreciated about this book is the fact that its pages are not full of positive, perfect anecdotes, or happily-ever-after stories. Rather, the characters experience real successes and failures, ones that readers can relate to. At an intense point, Sylvia experiences major trauma, and it causes the others to self-reflect, sometimes even with guilt, and even drive a wedge between some of the characters, while drawing others closer together.

Of course, there is quilting going on with the characters. They are creating a round robin quilt, which simply means that each person will create a portion of a quilt, and then pass it on to the next quilter. The author uses the concept of stitching pieces of fabric to the larger piece as a parallel to the connections being forged in the lives of the quilters. Color choices and block patterns have larger meanings as they are used to symbolize the events occurring in the lives of the individuals in the story.

This is another enjoyable novel in the series. If you have read the first one and enjoyed it, then you will definitely need to continue the series and read this one, as well. Even if you have not read the first one, the book stands alone; you are not given storylines that are impossible to follow unless read sequentially. Rather, these books can easily be read out of order.

101 Fabulous Fat-Quarter Bags: A book review

I have been eyeing this book, 101 Fabulous Fat-Quarter Bags with M'Liss Rae Hawley: 10 Projects for Totes & Purses, ever since the author, M'Liss Rae Hawley, came to our local Joann store and promoted it. At the time, it was still a few weeks away from publication/release. It is now available. When she introduced the book, she also had some of the bags that appear in the book. It looks like it will be worth getting. The bags were gorgeous! I'll have to let you know what I think of it when I get my copy.

I won a blog award!

My friend over at http://www.journey2learn.com named me for an award for my blog! As part of the honor, I am supposed to nominate seven others. So, here goes!

http://sewing-accessories.net Can you nominate your children? My ten-year-old daughter’s blog is really interesting, and pretty funny at times. She discusses her adventures in sewing. Even though she’s mine, I am impressed at the idea of a ten-year-old possessing her level of maturity and ability to maintain this, as well as to do the projects which are mentioned on the blog.

http://www.journey2.learn.com I am always so motivated when I read her blog. She does incredible work with lots of young people, and maintains a life with her husband and children, and is writing a dissertation at the same time. Can you say Superwoman!

http://www.justanormalfamily.blogspot.com/ My friend is absolutely amazing. She and her husband gave birth to four, and adopted 11 more! The two oldest have started families of their own, so she has 4 grandchildren as well, who are around the same age as her youngest children. Another Superwoman!

http://www.pamomofseven.blogspot.com/ Another incredible friend, with a number of children (biological and adopted). When I read her blog, it makes me tired :), and it really makes me feel inadequate. I’m gonna have to change my friends before I develop a complex!

http://www.womenfolk.com/mysites.htm She has a GREAT blog about the history of quilting. My blog has a number of posts which discuss quilting history, but hers is dedicated almost solely to the topic.

http://www.heatherbailey.typepad.com/ While she certainly needs no promo from me, I still have to mention her site here, because it is beautiful, and pix of her sewing studio have been an inspiration to me!

http://www.lisatutmanoglesby.typepad.com Her site has, more than many others, shown me the power of someone who has many interests, and is able to display them through beautiful photos. Her blog says to me that I can do it, too.

Well, I have to stop at 7, so that’s the end of the list. I should do something like this again, because there are many more blogs that are worth mentioning here.

The myth of quilt codes and the Underground Railroad

I have put off this post for far too long.

In 1999, a book was published which rocked the quilting world. In it, a very startling claim was made: Quilts had been used on the Underground Railroad to transmit hidden messages. A quilt hung on a clothesline in a particular way or with certain quilt block patterns and colors could signify a "safehouse," or a place where a runaway slave could be assured of safety on her flight to freedom. The story was told to a researcher as she traveled throughout the South; the person making the claim was an older woman, trying to sell her quilts.

Unfortunately, much as we'd like to believe it, there is no truth in this story.

When evaluating whether or not a particular claim has truth, it has to meet certain parameters, such as, more than one primary or original source must make the claim. Namely, if this story had any truth at all, then at least one or two sources from pre-Civil war times would have made the same claim. The problem is, there are none. There is not one journal kept during this time, or one slave that lived during this time, that affirms the story of quilt codes. There was an extensive project performed during the 1930s known as the Federal Writers' Project in which the last living former slaves were interviewed, and they talked about their lives during slavery. If there was such a thing as a quilt code, then at least one of the 2,300 interviews would have made mention of it. Not one person even hinted at this. Even Harriet Tubman's biography, which made mention of the Underground Railroad, never mentioned these quilts.

The researcher at least had the presence of mind to question the quilt vendor about the total absence of evidence of a quilt code. The quilt vendor stated that, the quilt code was so secret, that conductors on the Underground Railroad, as well as the slaves who used it, were sworn to secrecy, and thus never mentioned it. Of course, since slavery ended with the Civil War, it makes sense that at least someone would have said something from 1865 until the 1990s, but again, there was never a mention of any quilt codes.

Another issue which shoots even more holes in the quilt code story is the fact that many of the quilt blocks that were allegedly a part of the quilt code were not even invented, or at least named, until after the Civil War. For example, a noted quilt historian has found no evidence that the Log Cabin quilt block existed, and existed by this name, before the Civil War. Another problematic block is the Wedding Ring. Again, this pattern was not in existence before the 20th century. Other quilt block patterns are similarly problematic.

The worst part of all is the fact that several books have been written based on this fabricated tale. All of these books point to this erroneous source and perhaps one other earlier source, equally erroneous. There has never been any indication that the quilt code is anything more than wishful thinking. It is a comforting thought, to take the ugliness of slavery and wrap it in a fanciful tale of quilts being used to guide slaves on their way to freedom. However, there is simply not one shred of evidence to support this notion.

The Quilter's Apprentice, Elm Creek Quilts: A book review

There are times when I find myself wanting to take a break from the normal routine of life--the duties and responsibilities, even the recreational activities, like quilting. (Horrors.) At these times, I am on the hunt for good reading material--substantive, yet not too heavy. I stumbled across a series of books quite by chance, with stories written loosely around quilting, but focusing more on relationships and the common occurrences of everyday life. The books I found were the Elm Creek Quilts series.

The first book in the series, The Quilter's Apprentice: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel (Elm Creek Quilts), introduces the reader to what will most likely be a recurring cast of characters. There is Sarah, the young woman who moves with her husband to a small town where he has been offered full-time, permanent employment. As she is unable to find a job, she begins to work in the home of the crotchety old woman for whom Sarah's husband Matt is performing landscaping services. While the relationship begins somewhat awkwardly, Sarah and the older woman, Mrs. Compson, eventually become friends.

Without giving the plot away entirely, I will merely state that the characters, while a bit trite at times, serve to remind us of our own human frailties and challenges--broken relationships, disappointments, guilt, aging, death, failure, hope, strength, joy, and reconciliation, just to name a few. Portions of the story are told in flashbacks and reminiscences, with characters reflecting dreamily or bitterly on earlier days and past occurrences. We see a detailed character development with Sarah, Matt, and Mrs. Compson; other characters are not quite as developed, but will probably be in later books in the series.

A word of caution: The author makes mention of a quilt which was used during slavery to signify a "safe" house on the Underground Railroad. There is no historical evidence that such quilts and quilt codes existed. Unfortunately, not long before this book was published, another book was published which made the unsubstantiated claim that quilts were used to transmit messages on the Underground Railroad. An entire movement was spawned, based on this ONE book with its incredibly faulty research. Essentially, a woman trying to sell her wares in a market relayed this quilt code story to an author, but then refused to repeat it later. Nothing else--not even firsthand accounts of slaves--has ever made this outrageous claim, in all of history.

Anyway...

Quilters will find themselves enjoying the quilting process detailed in the book, as we journey with Sarah through her beginning quilting lessons and trials. I laughed at the ever present hand-pieced vs. machine-pieced, hand-quilted vs. machine-quilted debate waged cheerfully in the pages of the Quilter's Apprentice. Also to be appreciated are the stories that are told with every quilt, and how they, or the fabrics of which they are comprised, are significant to their owners or recipients. I'll bet you, like I, recognized the description of the Lone Star pattern in the very beginning of the book long before the pattern was mentioned by name.

If you are looking for high quality or serious reading material, this series is probably not for you. But if you are looking for a lighthearted, heartwarming, enjoyable read, with quilting as a central, recurring theme, then this series is for you. I think you will laugh and cry right along with the characters in the book.

Long arm quilting machine rental

I had an opportunity recently to quilt on a long arm quilting machine. For the uninitiated, a long arm quilting machine is an oversized sewing machine of sorts that is made for the express purpose of quilting quilts. It takes a process that can easily takes months by hand, or even several days on a regular sewing machine, and reduces the time to perhaps even as little as one hour. It has REVOLUTIONIZED quilting!

Frequently, you will find an individual or a business (such as a local quilt shop) which offers long arm quilting services. You take or send your finished quilt top to the person, along with your backing fabric, and after a period of time, your finished quilt is returned to you. The exact details differ from service to service, and according to what you would like to have done, but generally, you will then finish and bind the edges yourself.

This method has a couple of drawbacks. First of all, it is not inexpensive. If you have already invested quite a bit of resources in the fabric, thread, batting, pattern, tools, etc., then it is not easy to give a long arm quilter another large sum of money. It could cost as much to have the quilt quilted as it did to purchase all of the materials. Or perhaps more. The second drawback is that it takes a long time. My LQS has a wait time of four months! Most have a six-week turnaround time. Another drawback, if it could be called such, is that part of your quilt will not be completed by you.

Another option, although it is much harder to find, is that of renting time on a long arm quilting machine. All rental services are different, of course, but generally speaking, you are introduced to the machine, and then you use it to quilt your quilts for a designated period of time. The only drawback in my opinion is that you are not an expert, so you quilts may not turn out perfectly. But the advantages far outweigh this, in my opinion. For a two-hour rental, I completed two quilt tops, and it cost me less than it would have to send one quilt top to a long arm quilter to have it done for me. And I completed it in less than three weeks!

Personally, I am quite pleased; I will be doing this again.