Hi - I should warn you I am feeling nostalgic today... And in keeping with that, I share a photo of this lovely quilt that was a wedding gift to my special friends John and Marlene last year... they are not "quilty" people, so I knew I needed something more contemporary for them, and I am just so happy that they have this bit of special warmth and care in their home somewhere.
A couple of weeks ago I visited my mom, who is now 86, and as I always do, I took along the most interesting quilt in progress for her to see. Right now it's an applique quilt that she saw about 6 months ago when it was just blocks - now it's all sewn together and I am working on the borders and finishing touches... Probably next year she will see it quilted!
We got to talking about how I started quilting - and I learned some things.... and will share the story with you...
I grew up on a farm, and down the street was a small business, probably we would call it a bar... they sold beer and wine, and had some pinball machines... sometimes in the afternoon I would walk there, and if I was lucky, the owner would put the magic tool in the pinball machine and I would get to play without paying...
The bar was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Chappell, and in the summer Mrs. Chappell would put her sewing machine up on a table in the corner and sew together squares to make a quilt top... and I found it fascinating, so she let me sew a few - and can I tell you I was hooked!!
That winter, she took me over to her house and we went in the attic, where she had a quilt frame built from boards propped on the ladder-back chairs... and she showed me how she quilted that same quilt in the winter, when the attic was cool enough for use.
I loved going to the bar - but my mother did NOT like me going there ..... and as we talked, I learned why... I had always assumed it was because they sold beer there, and that made it an unfit place for a child... well this visit I learned there was MORE TO THE STORY. It turned out that Mrs. Chappell wasn't Mrs. at all - that she and Mr. Chappell had never tied the proverbial knot... and that was scandalous back then...
Somehow it reminds me of Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke... have you always assumed that the sheriff and Miss Kitty were lovers???? Leave a comment and let me know... unless you're too young to remember Gunsmoke.............grrr..
I will close this too-long post by saying thank you, Mrs. Chappell... you gave me a wonderful gift.
Kate
IF YOU'RE HERE FOR THE GIVEAWAY, SCROLL DOWN, IT'S THERE....
4 comments:
You know, I never thought they were lovers. (didn't even know that was possible) I just hoped they would someday go on a date. I loved westerns when I was younger - Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry (sigh!). Used to watch them after school. Ah, youth!
I never thought about them being lovers. . . back then boys were too "icky" to think of them as being anything but terrible. Except, of course, for my dad, he was (and still is) wonderful no matter what! he he he
What a wonderful story!
Kate,
I just love this quilt you made for John and Marlene. The way each color is bound by the black has a beautiful stained glass effect. I'm new to quilting and usually go for the traditional quilts, but this is WOW.
Never thought about Miss Kitty and the sheriff being lovers...they weren't married so it wasn't an option LOL!!!
I've had so much fun going back thru your blog. Kitties on vacation. HAND PIECING! Brush the buffalo. Vampire kitty! (I pull my border collie's ears and face back--she ends up with a face like a seal!)
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