What a wonderful experience  — The Quilt Show on the Farm.  For several years John and I hosted this show on behalf of the new Geraldine Public Library.  Would you believe I cannot find pictures of this show, but they are here in this vast assortment of “stuff.”  We had quilts hanging all through the house, hanging on the front of the barn, had a line in the pole barn with oodles of quilts.  One year I borrowed a large cotton wagon with high sides –super high — and hung quilts all around that. Scattered around the yard were rolls of hay and each had a quilt draped over it.  One lady in the community had lots of pretty quilts — mostly made from feed sacks — and she smoked.  Of course, the quilts smelled like smoke and I had permission to hang them out in the sunshine and fresh air.  One visitor came in the house and complained vehemently about those pretty quilts hanging in the sun.  Duh!  We couldn’t have stayed in the house if they had been shown inside.  One lady from South Alabama and, apparently, a staunch democrat showed a quilt with a mule on it!!

Tobacco-Sack-Quilt

The library quilt show started in 1986 when we only had a hull of a building — hanging quilts made partitions in the building — we cleared $600 and I thought we had died and gone to heaven.  Until 1990 the show continued at the library and then we moved it to the farm.  I’ve never enjoyed anything more in my life and this was a super show.  It was a lot of responsibility and hard work, but it grew and I heard that a male quilter in Tennessee made the remark that “The Quilt Show on the Farm was the best kept secret in the South.”  Wow!!  What a compliment.

Grandmother’s Flower Garden

1994 was our last farm show and we had oodles of quilt lovers from Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.  John and I were showing our age by then and had to quit having it, but that year we cleared $7200.  If we could have had it one more year we would have grossed $10,000 — without a doubt.  So if I were going to look for a lucrative fundraiser, I would look at a quilt show.   Now there are quilt shows and there are showings of quilts.  Quilt Show on the Farm was the latter — a super show.

While husbands brought their wives to see the quilts, men folks could enjoy seeing the cattle, gardeners could see a beautiful fall garden or tour the herb garden.  One year we had brown cotton growing — I wish I still had seed of that one — it is unusual.  Without fail somebody would come to me and want to know what a certain plant was — so actually it was more than just a quilt show.  One lady wrote about it in a national quilt magazine and said she brought her granddaughter, who was entertained by the kittens.  Some quilters from Atlanta area brought a picnic lunch and spread it in the shade garden — across the road in my favorite scope of woods.

Another year we also showed Sand Mountain Pottery and that, too, was a big hit.

We have lots of good memories of those shows and the wonderful people we met along the way.  This has to be the very best of country living.

The post Remembering The Quilt Show on the Farm…November 20, 2013. appeared first on Billie Crumly | Country Living with Aunt Bill.

She loved her quilts and Beth and I have talked after we found out that Mother had died and she had taken us back to her quilt storage at separate times and pulled quilts out of the storage and point out that on the one special quilt she had pinned with a safety pin a sheet of paper.  Beth remembered it being a steno pad sheet of paper and I had remembered it being green.  Written on the paper in her hand and larger than normal letters were the words “Billie’s Casket”.  We were both given instructions that this quilt was to be used as a cover for her coffin.  Well you know how life goes and we just acknowledged to humor her but noted that we knew where it was stored and she had the note there and we would know what to do from there when the time arose.  Little did either of us realize that the time was fast approaching!

The quilt that covered Mrs. Crumly’s casket.

As you know mother passed away on June 22, 2014, and Beth had gone to Atlanta that weekend to handle some appointments which had to be taken care of before July 1 of that year.  We do what we must do and no one knew or stated that more than your friend, Billie Crumly.  So on Monday morning, daddy and I were at the home place and we started through the quilt storage and yes more than one place.  Would you believe that quilt was nowhere to be found.  I was in shock yet again.   When Beth arrived a few hours later, she and I once again went through every single quilt on the place and the quilt was not to be found.  Daddy, Mr. Practical, said that we would just have to make a decision as to which quilt we wanted to put on her casket.  Well, we set about choosing and I picked a couple that I liked and Beth picked a couple that she liked and we started narrowing from there and you can see her quilt draped coffin in this picture.  It was truly gorgeous and this quilt had special meaning because it killed her back and shoulders when she was quilting it.  My daughter, Kay, was living in Alabama at the time and Mother had told Kay that she would just quit because it was killing her to quilt it although she dearly loved it and had special friends had helped her lay out the colors in the quilt.  Her words returned to her quickly as Kay said, “But Mimi, you told me that our family was not quitters!”    With that said mother just took a little extra time to finish the quilt.  Oh the stories!  Seems as if everything in this house has a story and you have heard some of them.

How I cannot get the missing quilt out of my mind and every time I am in the house, it seems to come back more vividly.  I have discovered in my memory that Mother told me when she was showing me the quilt that the pattern was “Grandmother’s Flower Garden.”

Grandmothers-Flower-Garden.

This makes sense too because for the heading of this blog she has chosen the same pattern and I suspect the pictures were made from this very quilt.  I told Daddy just last night that I would always now believe that someone had been in this house and taken that quilt.   I would pray that God would make things so uncomfortable for all those who come in contact with that quilt that it would be returned to the rightful owners.   Silly though it may be, this too remains a part of country living.

Writer: Donna Harvey.

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I met Geri through the NQA Certified Judges Program and we both knew immediately we were friends.  Jim and John communicate well, too, so that leaves lots of time for the gals to talk and play quilting.

I’ve never been in the presence of anyone who has as many books on quilting, as many gadgets, or as much fabric.  There is a saying in the world of quilting that the one who dies with the most fabric wins and Geri is in the running.  But her organization astonishes me.  Only a mention of something I want to make and she goes right to the file drawer or wherever and pulls out the pattern or instructions.

I brought some new knowledge of quilting techniques home with me and now I also have a longer list of “things I want to make.”  As I’ve said before, the strength of that quilting thread is phenomenal.

The Waechters live in the heart of the Ozarks – the scenery is beautiful and the roads are crooked.  Forty-seven years ago when John was stationed in Salina, Kansas and we were on our way to Sand Mountain (in the very first car we ever owned) we came through the beautiful Ozarks, so we enjoyed some reminiscing, too.  I remember telling my folks the road was so crooked that we ran the battery down blowing the horn at our own taillights.  In all those years lots of improvements have been made, but the curves haven’t been straightened.  It was also on that long-ago trip that we crossed the Mississippi River on a ferry — never again!

Having locals act as tour guides made our trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, special.  We took the historical tour and saw where the elite of years ago went to take advantage of the mineral baths with the hope of improving their health.  With it’s setting, it seemed to me Eureka Springs could be some village in Europe.  It’s called the stair step town and to cover it by foot one needs to be in good physical condition.

I especially wanted to visit the dulcimer shop and did, but it was in Branson, Missouri, there I got what I had wanted in Eureka Springs –  a crash course.  I played a McSpadden dulcimer (supposed to be one of the best) and fell I love with the tone.  A larger dulcimer than mine — oh, if only I could play well!

After spending time and money two different days with some new quilt friends in a Conway, Arkansas quilt shop, we were on our way home.  As we traveled the freeway, I took out my fabric purchases and stroked each beautiful piece, planning in my mind just how I would use each one.  I have the symptoms of being a fabriholic.

Now that I’m home, I mentally go over my list of “things I want to make,” enjoy looking at the new fabric purchases and dream of owning and being able to play a McSpadden dulcimer. Memories and dreams – just another facet of country living.

The post About Quilts and Dreams of Musical Talent 1992 appeared first on Billie Crumly | Country Living with Aunt Bill.

Just recently I lost my bridge partner, and he was a master at the game.  One of the things I had always wanted to do was learn to play Bridge.  So after we moved back to the farm, Mr. and Mrs. F. V. Nichols learned of my desire and the fun quickly got underway.  John already played; however, in the last two years the four of us have enjoyed many hours together as we bid, went set and/or made the bid over and over.  In all the times we played this exciting card game with the Nichols, Louise was my partner only once — it was just not right for me to play without Nick being my partner.  What fun it was to answer a ringing phone and hear him say, “It’s your bid.”  Ah, such fond memories.  I’ll always remember my first Bridge partner.

In making one stitch after another, my mind darts from one remembrance to another.

So you remember when:
A Model T had to be backed up the mountain because it had no fuel pump?
Babies wore asafetida bags around their neck to ward off whatever?
Eight hours work was given for eight hours pay?
Churches had protracted meetings?
Schools had box suppers and cake walks?
Geraldine football was played in Dr. Parrish’s pasture?
Courting was done in a horse drawn buggy?
Cotton was plowed by “running around ” it with a mule and single stock, equipped with a sweep and scooter?
Bed linens were made from fertilizer and/or feed sacks?
Mama made gruel?
Milk had to be kept in the well to keep it cool?
Teacakes were kept in a flour sack?
Churning was done by hand?

If you can remember any or all of these you have dated yourself,  however, you are my kind of folks.  This is country living.

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Okay, Grandma worked diligently making quilt after quilt for the other children; however, all this time my young friend’s mother and Grandma had talked about what colors my young friend might like, etc.  Time passed and Young Friend grew up — still no quilt — but now he’d like to have one.  By this time he is teaching school in the Birmingham area and has his own apartment.  Grandma died!!!

Here again time passed and Grandma’s belongings had not been thoroughly gone through.  She’s been gone five or six years and this last fall Young Friend’s mother was going through a box of Grandma’s quilting books and scraps and found 20 blocks stored away and in the colors they had talked about over the years.

She brought the blocks here, we laid them out on the bed and talked about how to handle the situation,  They were definitely meant for Young Friend’s quilt. Me being unable to physically help, the mother took them to a prize-winning quilter and she set the blocks together and suggested that  the quilt be put up at the home and invite family members and close friends to come quilt on it.  This is what happened and all this time it was kept a secret from Young Friend, but when he came home for Christmas he was told the story.  I’m told the tears rolled. The quilt was still in the frame and he quilted some on it himself.  For several months family members dropped by (some from out of state) and put a few stitches in.  I even got to quilt on it one afternoon., but  I’m not sure  what the pattern is called.

It is a prize quilt to say the least even though the stitches are not all short and even.   Now the quilt is complete and Young Friend wants to take it home with him, but Mother is reluctant saying,  “Afraid something will happen to it.” This sort of thing is just one of the many pleasures of country living.   

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Billie Quilts on Dear Jane Quilt using hanging frames

Last week in this article we talked about piecing the quilt top, but space ran out before we got the border on and that’s important.  The border seems to hold it all together.  I heard one lady say she’d rather have a picture hanging on the wall without a frame than to have a quilt without a border.  As far as I’m concerned borders should be a solid color that picks up a color in the body of the quilt.   Quilting today is different than it used to be as, much quilting is machine done today; however, to me it should still be done by hand.  Quality, quality!!  Remember that’s my opinion – everybody has one.

Today batts come in all sizes and made of different materials, but as you know I tell about how things used to be and back then we used only cotton.  After crops were gathered ladies and children went back to the cotton patch to get the straggling boles – they called it “pulling” boles.  They then picked the cotton from the bole and had it ginned to be used for quilt batts.  This was before my day, but I’m told the seed used to be picked out by hand and each child would be given a tea cup and when they got that cup full of seed they could quit picking seed – at least for that day or night.  It took lots of cotton seed to fill a cup and it also took lots of cotton to fill the quilt.

We have to have a quilt lining ready the very first thing.  When I was growing up fertilizer and/or feed sacks were used for quilt linings and most times they were dyed.  It is believed that colored linings do not show dirt like white linings do. After enough sacks were sewed to accommodate the top the old black pot was readied and the lining dyed – many times a hank of thread was thrown in with the lining to be dyed so the quilting stitch did not show up.  Of course, back then ball thread was used to quilt with.  It was literally “ball” thread – it was coarser that today’s quilting thread and it came in a ball.

Needless to say larger needles were used to do the quilting and this made for longer quilting stitches.

My mother used to go a quilting bee when the Geraldine Baptist Church was being built (about 1940) and she didn’t want to sit by a certain lady to quilt because that lady made long stitches and Mother was afraid those stitches would be mistaken for hers. Even today quilters are critical of long stitches.  

Now about frames – quilting is done in many types of frames and a prize winner I know quilts without a frame, but she is one in a million.  There are king size frames and then there are little frames that can held in ones lap for quilting, but as you might guess mine are double bed size and hang from the ceiling in our den.  Not only are they for quilting, but many times they are used as conversation piece.  Some time neighbors and/or friends would come help quilt and that’s when they could catch up on what was going on in the community.

Of course, my space has run out and I’ve only just begun, but this how quilting was done years ago with that style of country living.    

The post Let’s Get the Quilt Frames Ready 2008 appeared first on Billie Crumly | Country Living with Aunt Bill.

Dutch Girl

Dresden Plate

Grandmother’s Flower Garden

Double Wedding Ring

Note:  We hosted a number of shows here at the Windy Knoll on behalf of the then new Geraldine Public Library.  It was one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever had a part in.  Of course, I loved having the quilts for a few days, but enjoyed seeing and meeting the people, too.  It just got to be too much for the old couple; however, if you are looking for a lucrative fundraiser a quilt show just might be it.

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The house is quiet now, the crowd and overnight-company is gone and I wonder how long it will be before we again return to normal living.

The Quilt Show on the Farm (held on our farm) was wonderfully successful.  John and I, and I’m sure others, are tired but grateful for the opportunity to be able to contribute to such a worthwhile facility as the Geraldine Public Library.

It’s amazing how people from long distances will travel to quilt shows.  We had one couple from California who were driving an RV on the way to somewhere to get on a barge with other RV owners to travel up the Tennessee River. She is a “fabriholic” and saw our flyer in a Boaz fabric shop.

Oneonta, Huntsville, Gadsden, Chattanooga and Atlanta were well represented.  And, of course, many from Geraldine and surrounding area attended.  What a memorable experience it has been for the residents of the Windy Knoll.  Especially Sister (our dog).  She is so glad to again be able to enjoy the quiet and rest in whatever room and spot she chooses.

The weather was not as good as for the 1990 show, but the quality of the show was even better than then.  We were pleased to have the best quilts of the show come from our own state.  The three best quilts, in my opinion, were from Huntsville, Guntersville and Tuscaloosa.  I just stood and stared at the stitches — so meticulously made and the same length on the back and front. They looked machine made.  The Tuscaloosa quilt was made of hand-dyed fabric – shaded to perfection.

Two of the exhibitors have quilts hanging in the permanent collection of the prestigious Museum of the America Quilt Society (called MAQS), located n Paducah, Kentucky – an honor very few quilters can achieve.

One special attraction in this show was 83-year-old Pauline Spieks, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, doing demonstrations on the miniature Grandmother’s Flower Garden and the Cathedral Window.  This is the forth trip Pauline has made to a Geraldine quilt show, and our people love her.  Her work is done to perfection and she has lots of patience to teach others the trade.

We invited people to tour the herb garden and John shared lots of plants from the Tri-foliar Orange bush in our yard.  All in all, the weekend was informative, entertaining ad just good, old-fashioned fellowship for the lovers of quilts, nostalgia, nature and especially country living.

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Clamshell

Today I helped work on a quilt that goes to a man in Saudi Arabia — he read about our efforts to help build a library with quilts and ordered one.  My finger is so pricked and punctured that I had to bandage it. I don’t quilt as well with the bandage on the finger that works under the quilt because I need to get the point of the needle when it comes to the bottom, so I can send it in the other direction.  An old remedy for sore and aching quilting fingers is to use hot dish water, but that can only do so much.

There are so many superstitions and tales connected to quilts and quilting — if a lady pieces a Lone Star quilt, she’ll soon be left a widow.  Also, it’s bad luck to put black in a quilt.  So if one wants to get rid of her husband, she could try piecing a Lone Star and put black in it.  Four single girls can hold a quilt out flat — one at each corner and someone else puts a cat in the middle.  When the cat is bounced up and down on the quilt, he will want to jump out onto the ground.  The girl nearest where the cat jumps out will get married next.  Before a girl marries she should have 12 quilts for regular use and one for the wedding night.  Now what if the wedding is in August?  I don’t guess the quilt for the wedding night would be needed!  It’s considered an offense toward God to make a perfect quilt and there are those who will put one piece in the quilt top upside down.  Now this is one thing about which I don’t have to worry — I can’t make a perfect quilt, so I’ll never offend God this way.

Another old belief is whatever a person dreams while sleeping a new quilt for the first time will come true.

Should the reader have a quilt stored in plastic, go immediately and take it out. The quilt needs to breathe and have fresh air circulate through and around it.  The best method for storing a quilt is to put it in an old pillow case and lay it on a closet shelf.  Take the quilt out often and put it on the bed or throw it across a chair.  Fold the quilt differently each time it’s put away — many times an old quilt will be worn out at the fold. Fold the textile in thirds instead of half and sometimes roll it.

What a wonderful, relaxing and rewarding thing — quilting.  I have met so many interesting people and I’m never in a group where quilting is being discussed that I don’t learn something new.  Sometimes it is how little the so-called “authority” knows.  Try quilting, you might like it — for me it’s one of the best parts of country living.

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I got really involved and even studied to be an NQA judge.  That was not for me — I wanted to be the little old lady sitting at home making quilt after quilt.  I did teach quilting and thoroughly enjoyed that and I sold some quilts.  One time I had a Little Dutch Girl Quilt that I had shown over and over and had it priced at $100.  Donna suggested that people didn’t want to buy old cheap quilts, so we priced the Dutch Girl at $150.  The first person who saw it bought it!  Duh!

Of course, we lived in Georgia and I had a good friend who had grown up in Mississippi.  She told me about a pattern her sister had gotten from a Memphis, Tennessee paper in the 1940’s and, needless to say, I wanted it.  The pattern was The Three Little Pigs.  The big bad wolf is in the center and the small blocks around the edge tell the story.  The blocks are appliqued and embroidered.  I put a blue and white checked border around the edge and quilted it.  It’s a sweet little quilt and everybody needs a quilt.

Quilt making, as I’ve told you before, has to be some of the best of country living.

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Charm Quilt

Hanging Quilt Frame

In days gone by this quilt pattern was called Odd Fellow and the pattern used was called Double Bitted Axe.  Ladies used to carry the pattern piece in their purse and when they visited they would ask to cut a few pieces from the lady’s stash of scraps, etc.  The first time John’s step  mother came to our house this happened to me — so I have first hand experience.  In this quilt no two pieces are cut from the same fabric.

The Charm Quilt was one I had always wanted, but it took me a while to get started.  Remember I told you my neighbor used to say doing a job is all in getting started.  Well, little by little I cut the pieces.  I’m not sure why I didn’t use the Double Bitted Axe pattern, but chose one called Casket.  Hopefully you can see the shape of the little pieces in the picture.

In 1987 I went to Europe with a group of quilters and met some wonderful quilters.  About 1990 two quilter friends from Holland came to the Quilt Show, held yearly, in Paducah, Kentucky and I met them there, then brought them to the Windy Knoll.  What a week we had.  They were in awe of the fabric stores in this country and we visited several — most of the time was spent talking about quilts.  I had enough pieces cut for the Charm Quilt and this couple had just taken a course in color.  This fit right in.  I have a large drapery table 5’x9′ in my work room and they laid the quilt out there.  After they went home I picked a row at a time up and hand pieced the little pieces  together.  It was a tedious job, but I’m pleased with how it turned out.  When I quilted it — I just meandered, but in long rows — perhaps to look like a stream of water.

At a later show in Marietta, Georgia it won the Viewers Choice award and, of course, I was thrilled.  I have not quilted in some time, but I yearn to quilt again.  I’d rather quilt than piece.  I have a frame hanging in my den ceiling that I can roll  down and put the quilt in.  At night, if needed, we can roll it back up so we can use the  floor space.  I’ve spent some happy hours seated by that quilt frame and, for me, it has to be one of the best parts of country living.

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