One of Each

Another short post for a short week :)

One of my early quilts (1977) inspired by a c. 1870 quilt in McCall's Needlework Bicentennial Quilt Book (1975). There are 2,304 1-1/2" squares all hand-pieced and hand-quilted. I followed the suggested color key and constructed the quilt in diagonal rows to the half-way point and then repeated the process starting from the opposite corner. From a distance it looks like the fabrics could be reproductions but . . . .

 . . . they are actually ones I purchased when I was in high school--yikes! When I started making this quilt the fabrics were already 15 years old. If I didn't have enough of a certain color I would purchase 1/4 yard pieces for about 50-cents each.

I quilted a cable in the border and cross-hatch in the squares. This quilt is still one of my all-time favorites.

 Haselton Cemetery, Wilmington, Essex, NY

 
We'll be in the Adirondacks for Thanksgiving so I thought you'd like to see another example of what I call an "Adirondack-style" gravestone. So far, this is the only area where I've seen gravestones with outdoor scenes in color. The names are inscribed on the base.

 Preston
Robert L. Sr.
Apr. 3, 1927 - June 14, 1984
Married
Oct. 23, 1954
Pauline Jaques
Feb. 11, 1935 - Sept. 26, 1998

My maternal great-grandfather Heinrich Wilhelm Strubbe (1853-1917) and his grandson, William H. Strubbe (1911-1924). Taken in the Bronx.

A visitor in our yard this spring.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving :)

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Copyright 2014, Barbara Schaffer

Remember Arpilleras?

Do you remember those three dimensional applique fabric pictures that were made in South America during the 1980s? They were sold at our local mall when the antiques show was in town. I had nearly forgotten that I owned several until I found them in one of my textile drawers when I was cleaning out this fall.

These pieces are delightful with their brightly-colored fabrics, stuffed fruits and figures, animals, and heavily embroidered plants and flowers. The ones made in Peru mostly depict pastoral scenes.

Peru is the land of the sun and mountain air. This piece is 19-1/2" x 20-1/2" with a crocheted orange yarn border.

The figures are usually shown in traditional activities like this man wearing a peach-colored shirt and shiny blue pants picking fruit off the tree. The fabrics throughout are varied and look similar to our cotton, wool, terrycloth, and flannel.

Note the heavily embroidered corn stalks and flowers. The sheep are woolly and soft. The background fabrics overlap and the raw edges are blanket-stitched.   

A stamp on the back indicates this piece was "Hand-made in Peru". The backing is burlap thus the name "arpillera."

Unlike the three-dimensional appliques in the large arpillera above, the ones in this picture are more traditional with edges turned under.    

Simple embroidery.   

Note the tufts of grass and the cactus spines.

 The embroidery goes right through to the back.

Another small piece with houses, girls, birds, trees--and the sun but no mountains. 

Love the two-leaf tree on the left . . .

. . . and the colorful one on the right :)




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Copyright 2014, Barbara Schaffer

The Ultimate Sacrifice

This Veteran's Day let us not forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice. One of those young men was my husband's uncle, Joseph William Franklin (1920-1945).
 

Joe was the son of Kasmar and Johanna (Hudson) Franckevitch of Seattle, WA. He had four sisters--Johanna, Liz, Frances, and Mary; and three brothers who also served in the military--Kas, Pete, and Jim.

This photo was taken in 1942.

2nd Lieut. Joseph William Franklin. Seattle Daily Times, May 3, 1943.

Joe's plane was shot down on a bombing mission northwest of Kobe, Japan. His B-29 aircraft was flying in the No. 2 position as deputy leader in the 52d Bombardment Squadron, 29th Bomb Group. According to an eyewitness account in the Missing Air Group Report that I found on Fold3.com, "The airplane commander probably put the airplane in a dive in an attempt to put out the flames . . . approximately 12,000 feet, the wing was torn off. . . " 

There were 11 crew members on board: 1st Lt. Joseph W. Franklin (WA), 2nd Lt. Paul H. Stuart (AL), 2nd Lt. Ralph J. Massaro (CA), 2nd Lt. Stephen F. Wenczel (NJ), F/O Frank A. Urso (IL), S/Sgt John R. Vincent (TX), S/Sgt Bryan McKown, Jr. (OH) S/Sgt George C. Peare (NJ), S/Sgt Henry F. Pleasants, Jr. (NC), Sgt. Robert I. Ellis (PA), and Sgt. Lavone L. Nix (SC).

Joe was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, and Purple Heart. 

At the time of his death, he was married and had a 2-year old daughter; a son was born two weeks later. Joe's final resting place is in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, HI.

JOSEPH W. FRANKLIN

WASHINGTON

 CAPTAIN 29 AAF BOMB GROUP

WORLD WAR II

MAY 5 1920  JUNE 5 1945

- - - - - - - - - - -

I organize all the veterans' gravestones that I photograph and upload to FindAGrave.com by creating "virtual cemeteries" for each conflict. The following men were either reported missing or killed in action during World War II.

 Hanover Cemetery, E. Hanover, Morris, NJ

BAIRD

1884 CORA M.. 1927

1884 DAVID L. 1965

1913 DAVID H. 1944

MISSING IN ACTION U.S.N. W.W. II

Hanover Cemetery, E. Hanover, Morris, NJ

STILWELL

CPL. JOHN V. STILWELL, U.S.M.C.

KILLED IN ACTION SEPT. 23, 1944

AGE 23

PELELIU ISLAND, PALAU

Hanover Cemetery, E. Hanover, Morris, NJ

LT. ROBERT HULBERT JR.

868 BOMBING SQUADRON

13TH AIR FORCE

MISSING IN ACTION JUNE 20, 1945

AGE 21

Hanover Cemetery, E. Hanover, Morris, NJ

RICKEY

ROBERT D RICKEY A.M.M. 3/C

BORN MAY 10, 1918

DIED MAY 10, 1943

IN THE SERVICE OF HIS COUNTRY 

AT ADAK, ALASKA

Hanover Cemetery, E. Hanover, Morris, NJ

IN MEMORY OF OUR BELOVED SON

WERNER J. HOLLY

PRIVATE U.S. ARMY

1922  1944

KILLED IN ACTION IN THE SERVICE OF HIS COUNTRY

BURIED IN LUXEMBURG

First Presbyterian Church of Hanover, E. Hanover, Morris, NJ

FREDERICK WALTER HOPPING

KILLED IN ACTION IN FRANCE

CORPORAL 1ST BN. 116TH INF. 29TH DIV.

FEB. 8, 1907  JUNE 6, 1944

   Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, Albany, NY

IN LOVING MEMORY OF PFC. WILLIAM JOHN WALKER, JR.

BORN APRIL 18, 1925 KILLED IN ACTION MARCH 18, 1945

BURIED IN AMERICAN CEMETERY AT HAMM. LUXEMBOURG

 

LET US NOT FORGET

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Copyright 2014, Barbara Schaffer

Into Browns and Blues

The fabrics in my most recent quilts are mainly browns and blues. 

I finished this top yesterday. When I saw this quilt on Lori's Humble Quilts blog, I knew I had to make one like it. Originally I thought I would try and reproduce the quilt and make it bed-size but that thought didn't last very long, lol! This is 55" square. 

I pulled all the fabrics from my stash that I thought could work.

As it turns out I only used 5 of them. The sashing is a Kaye England fabric that I purchased years ago. I had 3+ yards which worked out well as I fussy cut the long strips so the flowers would match up. The blocks are 9" and the sashing 4".  

I'm in the process of quilting this one now but it all began with two early quilts and the blue fabric . . .

In 2003 Rachel, Rita and I went to see the Art of the Needle quilt exhibit at the Shelburne Museum. I loved this quilt the moment I saw it.

Then in 2006 we were at the AQSG Seminar in CT. Another favorite!

At some point I bought a yard of this fabric Treasures of the York County Heritage Trust by Roberta Benvin and Joan Hamme for P&B Textiles. 

 

I'm quilting the blocks in double lines throughout like those in the Shelburne quilt above but haven't yet decided what to do in the borders. It's 27" x 27".

I had a lot of 3" swatches that I cut in fourths to make these little 4-patches. An inner-and-outer border of blue and brown was the perfect setting :)




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Copyright 2014, Barbara Schaffer