What’s a Person to Do?
When the garden work is done and the grass doesn’t need mowing, there has to be a respite. We enjoyed a day away from home yesterday and today I felt like pulling in for some quiet stitching. I have often said I do not want to leave unfinished sewing projects and go on with new. It is very difficult to recapture the same enthusiasm as when a project was first started.
I can recall 1967 when my horizons were small and centered on being a farm wife and a mother of a toddler. Mother-in-
law Esther piqued my creative nature with crochet thread, embroidery and tube painting. I was able to invest in some of my own paints and Esther would allow me to use additional colors from her collection. When I saw the Sun Bonnet Sue and Overall Sam unfinished quilt blocks, I knew there would be a few cases of eggs that would jingle my fun money cup.
Sun Bonnet Sue, circa 1960s, as one of the hottest
patterns to hit the Farm Journal, lady page.
At that time, I would wait until Carrie was napping, or after her bedtime and the paints would come out of the storage. I may not have had a lot of time in one block, but soon I could see some progress to Sun Bonnet Sue. Though the twelve blocks were painted, the resources it would take to piece it into a quilt top had to be put on hold. Never forgotten, but stored mindfully.
In 2014, I began checking all my stashes to make sure the forgotten were given a new lease on life. Out came Sun Bonnet Sue to be made into a quilt top and she took an early spring trip to the Old Alley Quilt Shop to be finished as a “for real “quilt. At the time when I dropped off the project, I made another appointment with Sharon for an additional project to be quilted on her long arm. I beat feet it home and the Overall Sam quilt blocks got to see the light of day. One problem: all of the paint tubes had dried tips and it was a no go for the state they were in. I got online and finding that the Tri-Chem company still was in operation, I ordered new tips. When the package arrived I organized my sewing room to allow for a painting area. There were no nap times to work my schedule around. I painted at will and still had time for gardening and keeping the home on track. Dennis never lacked for clean clothes or missing a meal.
It warms the cockles of my heart to see Overall Sam ready
for adorning any bed that is worth a night of rest.
When my appointment at Old Alley came about in January of 2015, Overall Sam and I were ready. I must admit, I had noticed that my painting hand was not as steady as it had been in 1967. Life is what it is, and I enjoyed being able to complete this long lost project.
As of this afternoon, Overall Sam is finished from head to hem. This is what I do, when time allows and the humid temps keep me indoors. Right now there are no plans as to where Sun Bonnet Sue and Overall Sam will find their final home. For now, I can enjoy them and appreciate a hobby that at one time was the center of my free time. Mother-in-law Esther and I had quite the time sharing projects and even treks to purchase additional colors of paint. Oh, for the sweet memories. It is fair to think that everyone has such sweet memories, isn’t it?
