Marilyn's Dear Jane

I was asked last fall by a quilt friend from our Keepsake Quilter's Guild if I would quilt her Dear Jane.......gulp!  I would be honored to.....humbled by and pretty much terrified to work on someone else's Jane!!!

The only thing that gave me courage was I had done my own, was pleased with how it turned out and it hadn't done me in!!!!

So several weeks back it arrived and was loaded in the frame.

And away we went......I stitched all the blocks in the ditch including the sashing strips and Marilyn is going to go back and hand quilt each block.  And frankly at that point my work goes away and all you see is the hand quilting.  That is fine with me and is exactly how I finished mine. 

 I was extremely pleased with how mine turned out.  And the thought of hand quilting all that ditch work.....just kill me!  It would have been a project killer for me and Marilyn felt the same way.

I included a video of using the ruler and stitching in the ditch.

All finished and ready to be picked up!!!!  She was giddy and I got lots of hugs on this finish!  Made my week!  Thanks Marilyn!

Tea Party & Quilts

I recently was asked to speak at a Ladies Tea Party at Grace Fellowship Church.  It was a joy to be asked and was so fun to see and hug many sweet gals that I have known for years.  Always fun to share my love of quilting, love of all things vintage and weave it around treasures of the heart and our spiritual treasure in Jesus!

Each table had a hostess and set her own table and service for her guests!  This happened to be my place setting.  The china was Jan's mothers, a beautiful Noritake pattern.

A place card at every place!

I didn't get around to every table......so here is a sampling.  They were all wonderful!

Loved the crochet tablecloth!

My kindred spirit, Jan!  We have been friends for decades.....I won't say how many, but we have a rich, diverse history.  And we just pick up where we leave off when we see each other, which isn't often enough.  My gift from her was this wonderful centerpiece.....minus the vase of flowers.  All these things she had especially picked out for me.....so sweet and special.  I have it all setting on my dining room table.....just as she had it here!  I will love you ALWAYS......my balcony friend!

These are some of the few quilts that I brought to share.  Those "ladders" came from my Grandpa Kullmer's garage when we were moving them out of the house on Chestnut St. in La Porte City.  They would have used them in their garden, for I am not sure what.  As soon as I saw them.....they had quilt display written all over them.  I have used them downstairs in "quilt world" ever since.

Loved the white tulip stem at every place.

Wonderful place mats with hat and gloves......just right for a tea party!

Oh, and the bunting with hankies to pick up your name tag.  Joyce greeted you as you arrived.  It was a pleasure to meet her! If you want to make a BUNTING for your next event check out this posting.

Sweet little pink roses were the theme here and what sweet little favor boxes for each guest!

Loved this with sequin covered Christmas ornaments arranged like a tree!  I love those ornaments.....have some of same ones on my Christmas tree and they fit right in with the pink roses! If you would like to see some of my Christmas decorations, check out this posting.

How colorful and beautiful!

Pink, white, delicate and sweet!

This floral china was gorgeous!  And the little favors had little butterflies in scenes that moved, so cute!

Love me some blue....all different place settings with yellow roses.  Perfect!

This is an old classic pottery pattern.....have always loved it.  So pretty and the centerpiece was wonderful too!

Thank you for including me in your special day.  The food was so cute and yummy, right down to the shortbread cookie dipped in chocolate that looked like a tea bag.  Complete with a string and tag!  Thank you ladies for ALL your work to make it a special time for everyone!

Battle of Franklin Tennessee

This fall we were able to visit the Franklin, Tennessee Civil War Battlefield. November 30, 2014 was the 150th Anniversary of this battle, so the whole area was geared up for that event.  We were not able to be there in November, but it was a great time in September to take in all of the sights and tours they had to offer.  I would highly recommend visiting Franklin if you love CW history.  Just one thing to know.....this battlefield is not supported by the National Park Service.  The locals have done all of this themselves through the The Battle of Franklin Trust.  So there is a cost to touring each site, but we were so pleased with everyone of our tour guides.  They had a passion for their local history and they wanted to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with us, as visitors.

Just to warn you this is a longer post with lots of links to read and check out.....if you like CW history, trust me you don't want to miss these stories they are all wonderful.  You might want to bookmark it so you can return later when you have some time to take it ALL in!

Tod Carter

Tod Carter has the distinction of fighting on the land of his father a few feet from the house he lived in prior to the war and where he was mortally wounded.  His family heard about it during the night and went looking for him on the battlefield.  He was found and taken to his home where he died a few days later surrounded by his family.  He was probably the only one during the war that was able to be with his family and die in their care.  Here is his story.

The battle lines were right through this area......it was hand to hand conflict, in the most horrible ways that come to mind where you read these words.....it was worse!

The buildings are riddled from shelling.....

This shows the battle line through the Carter farm.

 Carter House where the family and neighbors were all huddled in the basement....

I just found another great story from the Battle of Franklin on one of my genealogy lists.  It is a story of a half civil war boot!  Got your curiosity???  It did mine and I had to check out this story.  I love it how these things come to me, when I am planning on a posting!!!!

Carnton Plantation

This battle was so costly for the Confederate army, there were 4 generals bodies laid out in death on this porch in the aftermath.

There is a wonderful historical, fictional account based on the experiences of the family during this time by Robert Hicks, called The Widow of the South.  This house bears the blood soaked floor marks to this day in the upstairs bedrooms where they sawed off limbs and did surgeries for hours.

The largest privately owned confederate cemetery....where grave after grave are lined up.....many of them unknown.

Schofield marches his army up the main road, which is the highway into town now. 

At the end of these few hours over 9000 men were dead........

Another Dear Jane challenge for my Janiac followers....

I chose H-13 a super easy one for this time in December.

Writer's note the Dear Jane site is down at this time, I will link this block to the directions when the site is up and running again. 

Ta Da Dear Jane Finish......finally

Well last week on Thursday, October 16......I pulled my bent needle through all the layers of my Dear Jane for the last time. In that moment, I received my PhD in quilting. I didn't go to any institution to receive it, but if you can execute this project and complete it, in my book we have earned it!  I must say I did it with a sigh of relief and the moment was rather anti-climatic.  Over the last couple months, I just wanted this project done and I was ready to move on to other things instead of spending about 2 hours every morning stitching on "Her."

I don't think these pictures do it justice.....as I don't have a place to photograph something this big.......it does look wonderful and the hand quilting added so much to it!  That is what kept me going on it, to see the transformation of each block......beautiful!

I have no idea how some of you have done the whole quilt several times over.....you're killing me!  I have no desire to do that at all.  Been there done that.....ready to do something else!  But kuddos to you that have the stamina to do that!

Right now she is in the quilt rack waiting for her label, which I think I will work on after posting this blog.

Note: This picture was taken before the whole top was quilted.

My goal was to have this quilt totally done sometime during the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, which meant having it done by April 9, 2015.  Civil War Ends .......eye witness accounts for your perusal.  I am thrilled to have met that accomplishment.  What I personally really love about this quilt, in being able to honor those in our families that fought, North or South, in this conflict.  Both the Silver Fox and I have ancestors that represented both sides.  I think I inked about 25 names.  Did you know that Iowa in the Civil War had the most men serve in proportion to the state's population than any other state?  A little trivia for you!  But the men from our family did not live in Iowa at the time of the civil war.

 The corner signature block......In the Spirit of Jane A. Stickle.

 Henry L. Leach was one of my husband's ancestors.  And see the star by his name, that tells me he is a grandfather, not an uncle or cousin.  G-5 Poof is your challenge for this week.....get to it!

 This is the only picture I have with me in it.  A little hard to do without friends to help and you can't see mine!  Robin and Karan are hiding to hold this baby up and it is a heavy quilt.....lots of pieces, means lots of seam allowances.  This was taken two weeks ago at a retreat I attended at the Grout museum.  So it was not quite done, but while I attended, I got my two blocks done each day......a lady on a mission!

Here we are in all our glory! 

 Done is better than perfect!

But I think she is just perfect, but I might be a little bit bias!  :)