Getting excited about the Quilt Flap

Oh boy, the Quilt Flap's coming! Three weeks from tomorrow we're going to be neck-deep in old quilts. Lynn Gorges and I cooked up this idea of a glorified show-n-tell session-now called the Quilt Flap-to get folks around here to respect and save their old quilts. We'd seen one too many quilts consigned to the dog's bed and thought it was time to educate any willing members of the quilt-owning public.

Lynn once rescued a real early 19th century palampore quilt from the walls of the Shriners' auditorium in New Bern, NC, where it had been nailed up (!) to cover the doors of the restrooms. That is one lucky quilt. It now resides in acid-free splendor as the crown jewel of Lynn's not-inconsiderable collection of pre-Civil War North Carolina quilts. The tulip-y quilt in the picture is Lynn's as well.

Janice Pope from Cary NC, who has the patience of a saint when it comes to restoring and repairing old quilts, will share her wisdom. When do you repair an old quilt and when do you simply leave it alone? Janice will help people diagnose and prescribe treatment for Granny's treasure.

I'll run around and show my cheddar NC quilts. This is part of my life-long campaign to get golden-orange adopted as the favorite quilt color. It's obviously been working because in the past couple of years, modern quilters and art quilters are taking to orange in a big way. OK, I cheated-that's my own Basket quilt in the picture.....

Your invitation to the Quilt Flap is posted in the right sidebar-put it on your calendar and come.

Looking Up

Folks in my family have a tendency to look up. We study the sky, both daytime and evening, are restless during full moons, and try to track stars and satellites. I was a little girl when Sputnik, the first Russian satellite, went into orbit. We lived on an Air Force base in Charleston SC and my sister had girlfriends over for a slumber party. We were hanging out on the swing set in the backyard when my parents came out to tell us we might see Sputnik go overhead. And we did see it, blinking faintly as it tracked across the deep blue early evening sky. My father strained to see it and then finally stomped back into the house in a foul mood muttering,"Damn it! They beat us to it!"

Fortunately stars, as in star blocks made into quilts, are much-loved images and not controversial subjects. This picture was taken in Houston, TX where I recorded an interview for the Under the Bed project. The quilt behind me was called Starry Night and appeared as the calendar quilt for 1996 for Oxmoor House Press. I still love it and teach the star patterns.

Yesterday my Uncle Otto from Dallas checked in to tell me that due to his post-polio symptoms, he's going to get a motorized wheelchair. I replied he needed to get flames painted on it, or make room for bumper stickers, or maybe rent out space for ads. Quick as a shot, he zapped back this picture. As an astronomer and lifelong technophile, Otto loves all things Apple and sent this on his iPhone. Notice the bumper sticker that says, "My other vehicle is on its way to Pluto."

Bittersweet Mother's Day

I'm glad when folks still have their Mom to remember and honor and take to dinner on this day but I still miss mine terribly. Her name was Mary Elizabeth Wetzel Peddie. She stood about 5' 2" in her stocking feet and was a brunette with hazel eyes. In her later years, she also got broad width-wise so I can claim I come by my shape naturally.

Called Mary Lib by her friends (but never by her children-) she encouraged all my writing efforts and was relieved when I finally used my college degree to some worthy end. After I dedicated book #3 to her (Crosspatch in 1989), she stopped bugging me about having children and contented herself with introducing me as "My daughter, the author."

The picture on the upper right was taken in 1952 or 1953. Mom looks tired. I was kid #3 and we were living in Frankfurt, Germany where my dad was in the CIA. Dad could never have done the things he did if Mom hadn't been there for him--they were a team. The other picture (left below) was taken between 1975 and 1979. Dad had retired from the Air Force and was now an Episcopalian minister. Kids were leaving home so Mom started an herb company, something she'd always been interested in. She kept Rutland Herbs going after another move to Maysville KY and Dad's passing in 1985.

The new red elements on this blog page are in honor of my mother-red was her favorite color. She had an incredible collection of sexy red nightgowns. I am so lucky to have had this amazing woman for my mother.

Happy Mothers Day to all.