Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Wandering Lover & Think of Me

I decided to challenge myself by doing an inked drawing in the center square of Wandering Lover the first block of Barbara B's Antebellum Album Quilt BOM.


First I scoured Pinterest for some images and this one caught my eye.


Then I printed it out on plain paper and taped it to the door with freezer paper-backed fabric on top. From there I used a .05 black Pigma Pen and traced the design as best I could.


  And here it is.


I added a broderie perse leaf to the two remaining corner squares. 


And this is the end result :)

__________

As I was making this block and thinking about inked inscriptions and drawings, it reminded me of the lovely verses my grandfather wrote in my grandmother's autograph book.   


My maternal grandmother, Etta "Ethel" Strubbe, was 15 years old when this photo was taken in 1905.


My grandfather, Stanton M. Bower, was seventeen when he wrote: 

May 12th 1905
May fortune send you happy hours,
And strew your path with life's bright flowers.
Your Friend,
Stanton M. Bower



Two years later he was hoping "to be more than a friend" . . . 

September 22d, 1907
Dearest Ettie,
Many have written before me dear,
Many have liked you I know,
Many have seen your sweet face near,
There are many who'd like to now,
But before life sun has set dear,
I hope to be more than a friend,
I hope to be more than a brother dear,
To be near you pet to the End!
Your loving,
Stanton


They were married in 1910 in NYC but this picture was taken in Lawrence, MA at the home of his grandfather (my gr-gr-grandfather) Robert Bower.  


In 1996 I was experimenting with transferring photos to fabric and did this one using a xeroxed copy of my grandmother's photo along with turpentine and a spoon. Did you ever try that?? Anyway, I embroidered the corner squares and fused a couple of flowers and 'to my sweetheart' which so reminded me of my grandparents :)


Taking it one step further while thinking about friendship blocks and inscriptions are these Victorian cups with "Think of Me" on them. Aren't they sweet?

Enjoy your Valentines Day!




__________
Copyright 2018, Barbara Schaffer



8 comments:

  1. What a wonderful enhancement to your block! Your tracing came out beautifully. I love the story about your grandparents and your grandfather's lovely verses. I had never heard of using vinegar and a spoon to transfer images, so I Googled it. Fascinating! I can't wait to try it.

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  2. Wonderful block and a great love story about your grandparents. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. I used to use acetone (I think) and a spoon. Not good for the young brain. Your block is gorgeous.

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  4. What a lovely addition to your block. The tracing is perfect. You are so fortunate to have so many pieces of your family history. The photos and poetry are so sweet. I've not heard of the turpentine/spoon photo transfer method. I'll have to Google it too.

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  5. Your inked block turned out fantastic!
    How special to have the book with the poetry in it! What a family heirloom!

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  6. It was a fantastic idea for your BB block !! It turned out beautifully !
    Thank you for sharing the love of your grand parents... so touching !

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  7. Always love to see an inking done in a quilt block - you did a wonderful job. How precious to have the photos and poetry of your grandparents. That generation had the most beautiful writing.

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  8. what a wonderful post. I love the teacups and the poetry. Your little transfer piece is lovely.
    The inking turned out so great. That is exactly how I do it too.

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