The Wayward Girls

The Wayward Girls met Saturday, July 7, and had a great time as usual. My sewing room is on the 2nd floor, it's been having a very hard time staying cool in the 100-105 degrees days we've been having. So we sewed in the dining room on the 1st floor, which I think worked out very well. 

Pam worked on several projects, and since she couldn't operate her sewing machine (she fell and broke several toes on her right foot this week), she brought along some hand work. First up was to finish the binding on the summer Thimbleberries quilt, Little Garden (above). Pam substituted different fabrics as part of the pinwheel blocks in the center of the quilt.

Then she worked on a baby quilt that will have little smocked dresses on it (sorry, no photo). Pam is teaching herself to smock--I haven't smocked in over 40 years, so I wasn't any help. She is also making a baby quilt with these darling bears, Ben and Emma is it's name; the pattern is from a 2000 Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine. How cute is that!

Carol brought several projects, first off was a table runner using fabrics from a collection called "Downtown." Very New York or Chicago, don't you think!

Her second project was from Jo Morton's Little Women Group 11. It's called Raspberry Swirl, but we named it Licorice and Orange. The block is called "Turkey Tracks" and Carol beautifully paper-pieced them. I can just see this in a Halloween display with a cute pumpkin or black cat, can't you!

My first project was to finish setting the 4 quadrants of Blue Ridge Beauty together. It went together faster than I expected--I was finished with it before the girls even got here! It's 80x80 inches and I think it's done--no borders. This is a Bonnie Hunter pattern, made with mostly scraps.

Here is a photo of Pam's Red Ridge Beauty. After I saw her quilt, I took my blue and white quilt totally apart (it was set differently) and put it together like hers since I liked it so much. Pam is such a sweetie--she's already sent her quilt off to her sister-in-law.

Then I had to get caught up with my Thimbleberries Little Garden. I substituted a different fabric for the light floral backround in the pinwheel blocks, not wanting to use the pink rosebuds fabric.

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I pressed on and finished the top! That's always a good feeling. I really do like the little picket fence border. I'm going to send this to my favorite longarm quilter, Joyce and get it done! (That's me peeking out from behind the quilt.)

I also cut borders for my granddaughter's quilt and will post a photo of that shortly. The borders are a bright pink print with birds and hearts in the design.

It was kind of comical when the girls arrived about 9:15 a.m. The crew was here to powerwash the house and deck and their vehicle and hoses took up the entire driveway. Then because of the 4th of July holiday the garbage collector showed up just as Pam and Carol drove into the circle. There isn't really much parking space on our circle! So we played musical cars and got that issue resolved.

You know how you sit and chat with your best girlfriends and someone says something that just tickles you? We had a dear friend from our quilting group move--quite suddenly--out of state. Houses are selling very slowly around here, but Marla's sold in 3 weeks. The joke was, Marla moved so quickly, you'd think she was in the Witness Protection Program.  I think we've all been watching too many NCIS episodes ;-)

We had lunch at Mexico Restaurant. Last month we had gone to Crazy Greek's. So it's been 2 months since I've eaten at Mexico Restaurant--everthing really tasted so very good. Blackened Tilapia, Chicken Fajitas, Sopapillas, and Fresh Guacamole. Always ask for fresh-made guacamole--it is fabulous! And we order our sopapillas with honey, ice cream and chocolate sauce drizzled on them. So yummy!

Till next time, keep stitchin'!

Mary

General's Wives Block of the Month

This is our June block-of-the-month, dedicated to the memory of Maria Louisa  (Garland) Longstreet. You can't tell her story without telling about her husband, Gen. James Longstreet. Raised on a farm in South Carolina, he dreamed of being a soldier. His parents sent him to Augusta, Georgia to live with his uncle, a lawyer, to prepare him for West Point. Upon entering West Point, James Longstreet befriended Ulysses S. Grant. They remained good friends throughout their lives. After graduating from West Point, Longstreet and Grant were stationed at Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis, Missouri. Longstreet introduced Grant to his cousin, Julia Dent and Grant and Julia soon married. Longstreet fell in love with Maria Louisa Garland, the daughter of the regiment's colonel, and they were married in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1848. Babies soon began arriving!

The ambitious Longstreet was stationed in Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Mexico and Pennsylvania. When the Civil War broke out, Longstreet felt the pull to Georgia, resigned his commision with the US Army and joined the Confederate States of America. He was appointed a brigadeer general and was assigned to Manassas, Virginia. His wive and children lived with friends in Richmond, Virginia. It was here in Richmond early in 1862, during a scarlet fever epidemic that three of the four Longstreet children (Mary Anne, James, and Augustus Baldwin) died within eight days. The blow was almost too much for Longstreet; he hurriedly went to Richmond. It was some days before he could leave his wife and 13-year-old son Garland, who were devastated by the tragedy.

The loss affected the general greatly. An aide noted that his "grief was very deep," while others commented on his change in personality. Because the Longstreets were too grief-stricken, General George Pickett and his fiancée LaSalle Corbett made the burial arrangements.

Longstreet became a trusted advisor and friend to Robert E. Lee, and was involved in the battles at Gettysburg.  Decisions he made there haunted him the rest of his life. Longstreet was also in attendance at Appomattax Courthouse for the surrender, where it is said Gen. Grant greeted him warmly.

Longstreet eventually moved to Gainesville, Georgia and became their postmaster. Maria Louisa gave birth to ten children in all, five of whom lived to adulthood. In January 1890, Maria Louise Longstreet died at the age of sixty-two at Gainesville, Georgia.

When I read such life stories as the Longstreets, I cannot help but wonder what her life was like. Who attended her as she gave birth to her babies? How did she cope with a husband who was gone for long stretches of time? Did she constantly worry about his safety? What was it like to move half way across the USA in the 1800's? I think about these things, and say a pray of thanks for all the blessings God has showered on my life.

Till next time, keep stitchin'.
Mary








Happy 4th of July!

I hope you'e all having a great 4th of July. It is beastly hot here in Virginia AGAIN so my activities consisted of sewing on my Blue Ridge Beauty, reading some of Laura Childs's "The Silver Needle Murder", making birthday cards for 2 friends, napping, and watching (with the hubs) another NCIS marathon. Actually, I don't do a lot of watching--I mostly just listen ;-)

So here's a little red/white/blue eye candy for you to enjoy.

We're ready for bratwurst and burgers on the grill. I also cut up a watermelon and we're adding sweet corn and tossed salad--keeping the menu simple in this heat! For dessert we had ice cream--I had half vanilla ice cream and half orange sherbet--remember those "orange push-ups" we had when we were kids.  I still enjoy that combination!

I'm getting closer to being finished with Blue Ridge Beauty. I have 3/4 of the quilt together. Tomorrow should be the day I finish most of the top. My goal is to have a photo posted of the pieced top tomorrow, as I am taking a vacation day.

I hope you and yours have/had a great 4th of July.
We're watching the Macy's fireworks, they are wonderful! We can hear the ones in the next subdivision over going off at the same time, kinda fun!

Till next time, keep stitchin'.
Mary