She Brings Thoughts of Spring
Sun Bonnet Sue in Her Glory
It’s not a new concept that mothers of small children need “me” time. I am not saying that it was a huge block of time each day when Carrie and Kevin were toddlers but I took what I could get.
We were full blown farmers in the mid 1960s with chickens, cows, pigs, ducks and big gardens. I was no different than any other farm wife and mother in our area. Farm houses brought no income to the family and that determined the work schedule and also Carrie and Kevin’s schedule. Meals and naps were not always at the same time each day but it always was a goal to attain. The first order of business every day was livestock chores that needed doing morning, noon and night. Though chickens only lay one egg a day, the egg nests were used by multiple hens. Those darn chickens would certainly decide if it was worth your time to pick the eggs out of the nests several times a day, because they would either scratch too hard to find the perfect spot to drop their egg and one would be broken all over the rest or they would poop in the nest. Payback was not good. Just like the family, noon lunch was always looked forward to by the young calves and dairy cows. Hay was needed in the bunks at noon and then Carrie and Kevin were the spotlight for lunch. It was all usual and customary.
Carrie and Kevin’s Dad , Orlin, had taken an off-the-farm job at 3M to supplement the farm income, and depending on which shift of the three possible shifts he was on, I was the go to person for the farm animal schedules combined with my kids and the house. Somehow it all fit into 24 hours of the day. I will say that the kids did get a lot of fresh air and wore themselves out to the point that naps and bedtimes were not fought. A nice warm washcloth on their face and hands after noon lunch and it was the peace that passes all understanding for me.
Orlin’s mom, Esther, was a crocheter and my mom was a quilter. I enjoyed doing them both. The dining room table was my area for play when the kids napped. The huge old dining room oak buffet was the storage spot for my goodies in between time. Somewhere along the line Esther got into fabric painting and of course it piqued my interest. All I 
had to do was rearrange my buffet and there was room for one more hobby I could enjoy when time allowed. Tri-Chem oil paints for fabric painting was fun and allowed for being creative. It was resilient for being washed and Esther enjoyed using the paints on dish towels rather than everything being embroidered. Who used dish towels that were not embellished? Esther kept her mind young by embracing new ways to do what she enjoyed. Her wares were sought after by people in Hector to be used as shower gifts for bridal and baby showers.
With Esther and my Mom as role models, of course I found “me” time. Tri-Chem was the craft I could pull out from the buffet in short order in a small contained box and while away time when the kids were napping or off to bed at night. My sister, Elvera, had sewn herself a rose-colored shift dress (strait design with seaming and darts for form fighting). Elvera ask me to paint Sweet Pea flowers and vines that would cascade diagonally down the front of the dress starting at one of the shoulder seams. It turned out great. I enjoyed the creativity of it all and decided to mix the quilting with the painting and thus came about Sun Bonnet Sue quilt blocks to paint and then incorporate into a quilt top.
Sun Bonnet Sue Ready for Spring
The Sun Bonnet Sue quilt top had been in the cedar chest since the late 1960s. Before I had shoulder surgery I took the quilt top to the Old Allie Quilt Shop in Sherburn, Minnesota, for Sharon to work her magic. When Sharon called several weeks into the recovery of the surgery that she had it done, it gave my spirits a lift to no end. Sharon’s quilting did not disappoint and I was thrilled that Sun Bonnet Sue was brought to life for enjoyment. Looking at the quilt made the coming of spring seem possible after this long cold winter. The finished project and the bright spring colors just make me smile. Dennis could not believe the outcome and thought it might be too pretty to use. Sun Bonnet Sue has seen the last of her dark storage world. Our west porch bed will welcome her with open arms.
Considering my stashes of creativity it’s no surprise that I still have the Tri-Chem paints. I have used them over the years but with no huge project in mind. There in the cedar chest, next to where the Sun Bonnet Sue quilt top had been resting, is 12 Overall Sam quilt blocks. I had started them, but life happened along the way. There may be “the rest of the story” to come.
In life, please give with no remembrance, or take and remember it always.