CWD: Old Abe Lincoln

I did sew this block yesterday, but it was so late, that I fell asleep right after it was ready. So I'm writing one day late...

April 21, 1864 Emma Florence Le Conte Furman wrote in her diary

Hurrah! Old Abe Lincoln has been assassinated! It may be abstractly wrong to be so jubilant, but I just can't help it. After all the heaviness and gloom of yesterday this blow to our enemies comes like a gleam of light. We have suffered till we feel savage. (quote from CWD quilt book written by R. Youngs)

Block 80. Old Abe Lincoln is the last entry of Emma in CWDQ book.

Because I was busy with blocks in February I can now show you all the blocks, which are attached to Emma's notes.

There is blocks #66-80. 66. Knitting and Reading, 67. Great Bazaar, 68. Panic, 69. Confusion and Turmoil, 70. Bombardment, 71. The Longest Morning, 72. Degradation, 73. Poor Columbia, 74. Churches Spared, 75. Sadness and Silence, 76. Abomination of Desolation, 77. Guerrilla Warfare, 78. Recovering Items, 79. Bolts of Fabric and the last one; 80. Old Abe Lincoln.

It was a amazing journey with Emma; reading her notes, which she wrote during 1864 at the South Carolina College in Columbia (her father was a scientist and teacher there at the campus) gave many emotions. Mostly they were sad and angry ones, but there was a hint of hope too.

In May I'm planning to sew only two CWD blocks, on 1st and 28th, but in June there might be more again...

Fenix got yesterday a new toy;)
I made a paperstringball at the course... and before I got it out of my bag...
Fenix has found it....
and IT WAS NICE!
A big, but light ball to throw all around...
and there was a mysterious empty balloon inside...

SO
We Wish You All

JOYFUL EASTER!

The Sewing Room - place of refuge

This weekend I should have been next to the computer and write a study for Tuesday...
but I wasn't mood for it.
Suddenly I got my sewing mood back... Isn't that odd;)

...and started and also finished the second OPAM;)

a shopping bag

Pattern is in the book The Perfect Handmade Bag written by Clare Youngs. It's an interesting book and all the bags are sewn from recycling materials. I used tea-dyed fabric with Marimekko's minipoppies, only the button is recycled.


This week's BOW for
Sylvia's Bride Sampler was
J-6 Puss in the Corner

Nice and easy block
after Death Penalty.




One of Fixed Stars of April is to catch up Cheryl's 1880's Sampler blocks. After this week I'm only one block behind. Yippii! I'll try to catch up all in the next week. Greetings to you, Cheryl! Your tutorials are great - although the pieces are tiny, the result is always success!

After pink (and dusty) blocks, I need colours!
Easter in my mind I picked up some greens and yellows. Last week I got Twister tools from the Country-Schoolhouse. I have seen many beautiful projects done with them, so I decided, now it's my turn;) It's fascinating, how simple it is making those Twister pinwheels.

SO the sewing room clearly was
my place of refuge this weekend...

But now I MUST concentrate on the study: life and works of Heljä Liukko-Sundström.
She is finnish artist of ceramics.

Happy next week to you all!

CWD: Death Penalty

April 15, 1863 Eldress Nancy E. Moore wrote in her diary

A note taken from the Louisville Daily of April 14, Tuesday - General Burnside who has the first command over Indiana and Kentucky has issued a general order pronouncing the penalty of death oa all persons found quilty of aiding the rebels. Persons sympathizing with the rebels, will be arrested and tried or sent beyond our lines. (quote from the book - CWD quilt by R. Youngs)

Block 23. Death Penalty

April 15, 2011 I wrote to my CWDQuilt journal

I wasn't in the mood for sewing tonight - at all.

And seeing the pattern of next CWD didn't make me feel any better. I was really tired - and still I am - while sewing the block. And I was all the time scared... would it be a dissaster... there are narrow stripes again... I foundation pieced almost whole the block, despite those flying geeses with narrow stripes.

Afterall the result is more than "success;)" when I'm considering my mojo.
Hopefully I'll be more spirited tomorrow!!!

CWD: Feverish Excitement

April 13, 1862 Sarah Lois Wadley wrote in her diary

Oh! What a time is this, the past week has been one of feverish excitement, Tuesday we received news of a great battle near Corinth, Miss. Every day since we have been hearing scraps of news from the battle field, on Wednesday we were triumphant conquerors, but the enemy reinforced by sixty thousand fresh troops was preparing to attack us. All is uncertainty, and dread rumors of every kind are floating around, but I believe we must be victorious; my heart sickens when I think that under this beautiful blue sky, with God's heaven sent air breathing warm and fructifying around, while the birds sing, and the green leaves wave as if to praise their Creator, thousands of men are mingling in mortal combat, and groans and shrieks sounding amid the roar of artillery and the trampling of cavalry, the picture is too dreadful; how many Mothers and sisters, wives and children sit in despair or suspense this day. (quote from Civil War Diary Quilt written by R. Youngs)

Block 119. Feverish Excitement

Next CWD block on Friday...
hopefully... it'll be more challenging...
Death Penalty block.

Very Lazy Blogger...

... I am,
but I have finished first OPAM in this month;)))

FELTED MUG RUG
(the pattern of hen and cock, "Påskekos" is designed by Laila)

The felting is one of our subject "at the school..."
and it's addictive...
I AM hooked - again;)
or should I say we both are;))
Fenix is very zealous assistant!

In our sewing room the life is still weird...

1. the shelves are overloaded with different kind of yarns
2. THE B is covered with fabrics, which I have dyed "at the school"
3. the cutting mat is occupied with felted UFOs
4. BUT YESTERDAY evening I cleared the mat for the sewing things...

... and stitched and framed one more block for 'Tis the Season' quilt
and one more block for...

... now I have to go on and continue the homeworks...
...but perhaps before that... a cup of tasty coffee...

Nice
that you shared some moments of the past week
with me;)

Fixed Stars for April

Few glimpses of past March...
There were several birthdays,
for example I celebrated;)
I got that gorgeous cross-stitched owl picture from my mother. She stitched it herself.
Oh, I adore it!!!!
I also adore that cute mug rug above, which is present from Simone!
Thank you once more time, Simone;)
There is also two OPAMs at the collage:
pair of woollen socks (above left) and a make-up purse (above right)

Well, maybe it's time to scan March through the Fixed Stars...
I'm not proud of my achievements...

1. Finish Midnight Star - doll quilt. No progress:(
2. Finish Jul Mysteriet 2011 -tablerunner. No progress:(
3. Start and finish a shopping bag with pink roses. Only rose cross-stitched:(
4. Stitch-a-long 3 blocks for 'Tis the Season'. Done!
5. Applique block 2 for 'The Night before Christmas'. No remarkable progress:(
6. Spare time for Shooting Stars. Done! Finished a make-up purse and pair of woollen socks!
7. Sew 4 SBS blocks and other blocks. Only 3 SBS and 1880's Sampler blocks:(

March was catastrophic! So I'm wondering, what shall I do with Fixed Stars for April?
Can I make any plans, because I'm rarely able to keep them? What's wrong with me?

Okei, I'll be brave and do a short and light list.

1. Catch up the SBS (one behind) and 1880's Sampler (two behind) blocks. Catching started already this morning;) with one SBS New York Beauty and one 1880's block Pine Tree block
2. Continue SAL project Tis the Season with two blocks.
3. Finish the rosy bag.
4. Sew five Civil War Diary blocks. Two of them sewed, the next dates are 13, 15 and 21.
5. Spare time for Shooting Stars (I already know, there will be many of them), for example home-works and one or 2 Eastern projects.

Is this list light enough?

OK, I'm ready for April, the real Spring month...
... but where is the Spring; sun and yellow flowers???

I'm looking out of the window and searching for some spring feeling...
I don't find it:(
Somehow I remember these words of song:

"April is in my mistress' face,
but in her heart is cold December."

I'm glad you shared some tales with me...
Have a warm and hopefully sunny week!

CWD: Bolts of Fabric AND Catherine Island

April 1, 1864. Emma Florence Le Conte Furman wrote in her diary

Since my last entry on the 18th many events of importance have transpired. About ten days ago father returned from Augusta bringing provisions, cloth, leather and tallow to make some candles - thus far we have had nothing but pine firelight after dark. The provisions were flour, corn and bacon - a few hams, but chiefly the sides. I am so sick of bacon - it seems impossible for me to eat it. It sees as if I ought to when father and the rest can eat it and think it good, but indeed my stomach turns against it and I usually make my dinner of hominy, corn bread and butter. The cloth is six bolts of factory cloth (unbleached homespun) which father on account of being a "Columbia sufferer" got it at the very low price of only three dollars a yard. It makes me groan in spirit to think of wearing this heavy stuff as underclothing all the hot summer, but as Aunt Jane eagerly observes, "it is better than nothing". Indeed Cousin Ada and I agreed we would willingly wear sackcloth and even ashes if necessary, rather than give up to the Yankees. With all the ports closed we will be obliged to give up every foreign luxury, which are even now by their high prices beyond the reach of all but speculators. As I sat with Aunt Jane (sick with the measles) we laughingly arranged it all and found we could live very well on home products. Our clothing is already mostly of homespun. Our stockings we already knit, and we make our own gloves.
(quote from Civil War Diary Quilt written by R. Youngs)

I have been silent for a while... BUT I'm back -although one day late- with two CWD blocks... AND it feels good - although those blocks are not the very best of me!

Two weeks and I haven't touched Bernina until this morning.
Can you believe it?!? Oh, I just don't know where all the time dissappear...

... and if you look the blocks closer it seems my skills of sewing are getting rusty. That must be fixed!!! So I'll try to spend more time in sewing room during April... although I have many other things (=handcrafts) to do...

Have a good Saturday Evening!!!
But before you leave, have a second moment of Civil War times...

Susie King Taylor wrote in April, 1862

On April 1, 1862, about the time the Union soldiers were firing on Fort Pulaski, I was sent out into the country to my mother. I remember what a roar and din the guns made. They jarred the earth for miles. The fort was at last taken by them. Two days after the taking of Fort Pulaski, my uncle took his family of seven and myself to St. Catherine Island. We landed under the protection of the Union fleet, and remained there two weeks, when about thirty of us were taken aboard the gunboat P-, to be transferred to St. Simon's Island; and at last, to my unbounded joy, I saw the "Yankee". After we were all settled aboard and started on our journey, Captain Whitmore, commanding the boat, asked me where I was from. I told him Savannah, Ga. He asked if I could read; I said "Yes!" "Can you write?" he next asked. " Yes, I can do that also", I replied, and as if he had some doubts of my answers he handed me a book and a pencil and told me to write my name and where I was from. I did this; when he wanted to know if I could sew. On hearing I could, he asked me to hem some napkins for him. He was surprised at my accomplishments (for they were such in those days), for he said he did not know there were any negroes in the South able to read or write. (quote from Rosemary Young's book CWD quilt)

PS: Tomorrow I'll try to update Fixed Stars of March and new Stars for April, ... atleast shortly;)