Drat.
In any case, since the lecture is to occur at a "history place" as my seven year old history geek might say, and because it is to be my "Plays Well With Others" group quiltmaking lecture, I thought this morning "What better time to pull out those weird redwork blocks I bought from Ebony Love a year or so ago with historical themes and finally put them together? Because, you know, I only have twenty seven other projects going right now."
The blocks were redworked (in blue) by either Ebony or someone else, thus ensuring that if I put it together it will be a collaborative work, and are, in all honesty, a little strange. Obviously all of them are Colonial America themed, but some of them are downright crazytown. Observe.
Yepper. I'd be pulling my hat down over my face if I were in the stocks. How embarassing. |
Is this REALLY a depiction in redwork of a young squaw throwing a hatchet at a bound man? I can't make it anything else, but I am disturbed by it. |
I call this one "Guy Smiley, Hunter." This is the only person with a face on any of the blocks, and the smile turns the whole thing into a parody of goofballism to me. |
Would that I could find the actual descriptions of each design's historical significance. Then we might know the story behind why the maiden was angry enough to throw a tomahawk or why the goose hunter returns looking like a scarecrow. But unfortunately I didn't find anything on the individual blocks.
Admittedly, I didn't look very hard. I wanted to get this post up before the girls get home from school. In Colonial America, as now, honesty is the best policy, so there you have it.
Here are some more of my favorite blocks:
I feel forlorn just looking at these Pilgrims watching the Mayflower sail away. |
This is the only block with red in it. Made it challenging to place in the quilt, until I realized it really didn't matter. |
The Beginning of Free Market Capitalism. |
I had NO idea currency used to wear little berets. Oo la la! |
I was just about done when I realized that in a moment of crazed rotary abandon, I had sliced a bit of one of the corners off. I literally rooted around the garbage can for a tiny piece to sew on and make it square again.
Here's hoping Cornerstone will appreciate my efforts to bring them a history-themed group quilt. If not, at least my daughter will appreciate snuggling up under coins wearing French-inspired head wear and criminals hanging out in the stocks. Doesn't every kid dream of such things?
8 comments:
Thank you for the chuckles while reading this post. It was very entertaining. The hatchet one to me looks more like she is trying to halt the hatchet from an unknown attacker. Kind of like in Disney's version of Pocahontas she throws herself over John Smith to save his life. :) Either way, kind of interesting subject matter to say the least. :) And Kudos to your use of the red fabric! Pretty awesome!
Excellent post. Those are most interesting blocks. I do hope that a reader will be able to direct you to further information about them. Thanks for sharing them.
I love that you made it with red and blue fabric. Long live America! ;) You're right though, some of them are a little.. odd. I feel the need to google them now, too. haha
Did you see this site about her? http://www.mckimstudios.com/#sthash.mYEetGM2.dpbs
As a card-carrying member of Cornerstone Quilters, I know I speak for everyone when I say we can't wait to have you here in Sturbridge on Sunday! And the buffet is pretty amazing which is a bonus!
Bummer! No cocktails???? I think I'd have to pack a little bottle in my purse. Totally impressed at your ability to find the blocks, sew it all together so fast and get it quilted and bound before you go! Oh yeah...and write such a FAB blog post.
Love these blocks~~ can't say they match my childhood memories of Sturbridge Village, but the older I get the more I realize the history I was fed was not always what it seemed!
Your mystery block depicts Pocahontas saving John Smith. (The person wielding the axe is presumably off camera.)
--C.B.
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