Notes: Friendship Album, 1933: Episode 31

In Episode 31, Father Joe makes Bess an offer she may not be able to refuse.

The Lyn-Way restaurant is real, and its motto is “Pie Fixes Everything.”

That’s my kind of motto.

You’ll find the Lyn-Way in Ashland, OH, the little town that serves as a model for Milton Falls. Was it around in 1933? Hmmm … okay, no. It was established in 1951, but my friend Susan, who’s from Ashland, thought it would be a good place for some of our characters to dine. So I opened the Lynn-Way a few years early; who’s counting?

For more about the Lyn-Way Restaurant, here’s an article for your reading pleasure: https://www.times-gazette.com/news/20080415/lyn-way-restaurant-treats-employees-customers-like-family.

A subject that has come up recently, and again in Chapter 42, is boarding homes for the elderly in the 1930s. It was more common then than it is now for older folks to live with their families, there was still some need for assisted living. Here’s what I learned from a blog called “A Place for Mom”:

“The kernels of the modern care system developed in the mid-1800’s. As an alternatives to state-run institutions for the elderly, fraternal organizations, tradesmen and religious groups began to open nonprofit homes for seniors. Examples of these groups include the German Benevolent Society, the Odd Fellows, Masons and Knights of Columbus. Young members of these groups would pay into a pool that would operate much like a pension plan today. The homes that they operated were often quite nice, and some still operate today.”

To read the entire article, follow this link: https://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/history-caring-for-elders-08-06-2013/

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Wednesday Bee Minutes, February 13

From:  Quilt Along With Emma G, an online offering at miltonfallsgazette.com

Greetings from the snowy Midwest!

Some of you may be wondering what has been happening here in the last couple weeks, since it has been so quiet.  Last week some good friends and I made a pilgrimage to Quilt Town USA to visit the Missouri Star Quilt Company!  We had all been suffering from a bad case of cabin fever and melancholy so this trip was just what the Dr. ordered.  It is truly amazing how a small Missouri town has been transformed by the craft we all love.  Aside from the abundant shopping experience, I found the history of the area to be just as interesting.  I also found the local Amish community just as fascinating.  It is truly interesting how different groups of the same culture operate in such different ways.  If you have not visited, I highly recommend it as there is inspiration at every turn.

In our travels the group decided that it would be worth an extra 2 ½ hour drive to visit Emporia, KS.  You may not know this, but my great grandmother Emmeline Grangerfield was born and raised in Emporia so it was a deeply personal trip for me.  I was able to visit the site of the mercantile that was owned by my great great grandfather.  Even though the original mercantile is long gone, I had an overwhelming sense of “coming home”.   It was really interesting to tour the local museum and wonder how many of the items in the museum had passed through my grandfather’s hands.

As I had missed a week of club happenings, I wanted to be sure to share this recipe from Joan.

Antonia’s Jam Jam Cookies

2 large eggs

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup butter or shortening

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup of light corn syrup

3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour (may need more to roll out)

2 tsp baking soda

Fruit Jam of choice

Mix all ingredients until thoroughly blended.  Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Roll dough out on a floured surface until approximately ¼ inch thick.  Using a cookie cutter, cut dough into shapes and place on a cookie sheet.  Continue to roll and cut dough until all is used.  Bake in a 300 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes.  Transfer cookies to parchment paper or a cooling rack.  While cookies are still warm, spread jam on them in desired thickness.  Enjoy!

Along the lines of coming home, the Quiltfiction Club met this week at the Grangerfield Mansion Bed and Breakfast.  I have to say I love what the new owners have done to modernize the home.  The remote controlled gas fireplaces are especially nice this time of year.  I did giggle a bit when I walked into the kitchen, as I know that Cora would be just beside herself with all of the new appliances.

The conversation topic was “Bucket List Quilts”. These quilts are those that one wants to do but hasn’t summoned up the courage to try. The double wedding ring and pickle dish traditional blocks appeared to be the clear winner and have challenged quilters for ages.

Also of interest at the meeting was the array of antique dishes that all members brought to share goodies with.  All types of beautiful dishes were shared along with the stories that went with them. If only those dishes could talk for themselves!

The club also extended condolences and prayers for Donna, who was absent due the recent passing of her brother.

Frances motioned for adjournment and reminded all to post their Quilt History Thursday items to the group Facebook page.  Frances also mentioned the starting of a book club on Mondays that will also be active on the group’s Facebook page.  If you haven’t joined, please do so today so you don’t miss out on one more minute of the fun!

Until next week, keep stitching!

Emma G.

(by Marie Davis Dinwiddie)

Notes: Friendship Album, 1933: Episode 30

In Episode 30, Eula gets a visit from an old friend and wonders if her farm dreams will ever come true.

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: Friendship Album, 1933 does not show the darkest side of the Great Depression. Bess’s financial woes are rooted in the loss of her husband (and by extension, his salary) not Great Depression Economics, and times have always been hard for Dorothy and her family, regardless of the market. It’s Eula whose life has been most affected by the market crash and the drop in crop prices.

Throughout the story, Eula’s dream has been to buy another farm for her family; this is her prime motivation for entering a quilt in the Sears Quilt contest. But in Chapter Forty-One, a visit from an old friend makes Eula reconsider this path. Many of their friends back in New Bethel are being hit by foreclosures or are having to walk away from their land.

When I was researching this chapter, I was struck by a story about how corn prices had dropped so low that farmers burned corn cobs for heat instead of trying to sell their crops. I included this in a discussion that Dan and Eula have after Eula’s friend’s visit. Can you imagine working all spring and summer to grow a crop, and then have it turn out to be worthless?

The history of farming in America during the 1920s and ’30s is filled with recessions, depressions, foreclosures, and one of the U.S.’s most significant man-made natural disasters, the Dust Bowl. It’s a harrowing history, and one that seems to repeat itself periodically.

Birds in Flight feedsack quilt, made circa 1930

It’s interesting how popular quilting became during this time. Merikay Waldvogel wrote a wonderful book about quilting during the Great Depression called Soft Covers for Hard Times that I highly recommend (for the pictures alone!).

For an interview with Merikay, follow this link: https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-history-of-american-quiltmaking-an-interview-with-merikay-waldvogel-part-one/

Notes: Friendship Album, 1933: Episode 29

In episode 29, Emmeline travels to her hometown to meet her quilting idol.

Emporia has changed since Emmeline was a child–it was a town that did a lot of growing in the ’20s and ’30s–and Emmeline has changed a lot, too. But you know what they say–you can take the girl out of Emporia, but you can’t take Emporia out of the girl. (Okay, they don’t actually say that, but it’s fun to pretend they do!)

Emmeline is in Emporia to meet her quilting idol, Rose Kretsinger. Kretsinger was a highly regarded quilter in her time, creating some of the most beautiful quilts of the early 20th century. For an in depth look at Kretsinger’s life and work, I highly recommend “The Aesthetic Life: The Story of Quiltmaker Rose Kretsinger” by Jonathan Gregory, a video of a lecture given at the International Quilt Study Center.

Orchid Wreath by Rose Kretsinger

It’s Emmeline’s hope to meet with famous newsman William Allen White while she’s in Emporia. White is famous for calling Emporia the Athens of Kansas. He’s best known for being a Pulitizer prize-winning editorial writer. Here’s his house in the early 20th century:

I always love to write an Emmeline chapter, because I’m never sure what Emmeline is going to do. I hope you enjoy spending time with her in her old hometown!

 

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Wednesday Bee Minutes

Over on Facebook, we’re having a lot of fun in the Quiltfiction Club, Quiltfiction’s closed group (which I encourage you to join!). On Wednesdays we have a virtual bee, where we all chat and share recipes and quilt pictures, and everyone is invited to participate in a themed show and tell. We’ve shared pictures of our vintage sewing machines, pin cushions, and most recently sewing boxes and baskets.

Several weeks ago, one of our members, Marie, offered to write up the minutes of our weekly meetings. Much to our delight, she did so in character, writing an overview of each bee as though she were Emma Grangerfield’s granddaughter, Emma, owner of a quilt shop in Milton Falls. With Marie’s permission, I’ve decided to share her weekly column here. Enjoy!

From:  “Quilt Along With Emma G,” an online offering at miltonfallsgazette.com

Greetings!

I am sad to report that earlier this week a good friend of mine and fellow quilter succumbed to the scourge known as breast cancer.  In Ms. Mae’s memory, I strongly urge all of my readers to keep up with regular checkups.  If something doesn’t look or feel right please don’t hesitate and see your doctor right away.

What a whirlwind of a week here in Milton Falls!  The Milton Falls Quilting Company shop was busier than usual this week as quilters from all around stocked up on fabric, kits, patterns, and notions to keep them busy during the Superbowl.  I love a busy week as it is not only good for business, but it is also balm for my mind and soul. 

Also, I do have to apologize to you dear readers for the lateness of this article.  Computers and power outages just simply do not mix!

This week the Quiltfiction Club met at the home of club president Frances.  What a warm, inviting, cozy place to share and sew!   Several new members have joined the ranks in recent days and the club is so happy to have them.

This week’s show and tell featured vintage sewing baskets.  One of the most interesting sewing boxes was shown by Kelly.  The box belonged to her husband’s step-grandmother who is of Japanese descent.  The box was originally designed for crafting kimono’s and had special slots for necessary items.  Several other baskets and very interesting vintage notions were shared and enjoyed by all members. 

Susan shared a beautiful nine-patch quilt that was given to her grandmother in 1936 as a wedding gift.  The quilt was lovingly crafted out of feed sacks.  During that time period, feed mills started using floral print material for their feed sacks as they knew frugal homemakers used them for clothing, bedding, and other necessities during a bleak time in history.

 

After the show and tell, Nonnie shared an article that posed the question, is it still important to teach children to sew?  The resounding answer from the group was a hearty YES.  It is important that children learn basic skills and sewing is one of them.  If you have children that want to learn sewing skills there are great organizations such as 4-H and civic groups that offer tutorials.   

This week’s recipe is sure to keep your families warm on what seems to be endless winter evenings.  Also, trust me; a slow cooker is a quilter’s best friend!

Slow Cooker Chicken & Biscuits

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 cups of broccoli florets

2 carrots diced

2 cans cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 tube of large biscuits, grands style

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large slow cooker, mix raw chicken, broccoli florets, carrots, cream of chicken soup, salt and pepper.  Cook on high for 3 hours.  After 3 hours, stir the chicken and vegetable mixture.  Open the tube of biscuits and tear the dough into small pieces and place on top of the chicken and vegetable mixture.  Cover and cook for 1 more hour then serve.

Frances motioned for adjournment and reminded all to post their Quilt History Thursday items to the group Facebook page. 

Until next week, keep stitching!

 

Notes: Friendship Album, 1933: Episode 28

Dorothy, worried about what the future holds for her family, opens the door to an unexpected visitor.

It continues to surprise me what an important role jobs play in this story. All of our quilters find themselves working, either part-time or full-time, often in jobs they never could have imagined themselves in. That fact is, that while the unemployment rate was extraordinarily high during this time (25 percent in 1933), a quarter of all women worked. They found jobs as housekeepers, cooks, beauticians, secretaries, teachers and nurses. Some women worked in industry, but faced discrimination and were paid less than men.

Women working in a spark plug factory in Ohio, 1930s.

I realized the other day that although I’ve mentioned that Bess is working on a Kaleidoscope quilt, I’ve never posted a picture of one. Searching on Pinterest, I found this beautiful antique quilt to share with you:

I wish I had more information. It was pinned from eBay onto a Pinterest board, and you can no longer link back to the original page (the auction must have closed). Supposedly it was made in the 1880s, but I can’t swear to it. If you can, let me know!

There are several Kaleidoscope tutorials online, if you’re interested in giving one a try, here’s a fairly in-depth video you can take a look at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEViYJN2iSo

If you want to go old school, there’s always Ruby McKim:

From Ruby’s notes–“Material Estimate: The quilt contains 168 six-inch blocks, set together 12 blocks wide and 14 blocks long, making a quilt about 72 by 84 inches. You will need 2 1/2 yards of light material, 2 1/2 yards of dark and 4 1/2 yards of white, a total of 9 1/2 yards.”

Have at it, girls! See you next week!

 

 

 

Notes: Friendship Album, 1933: Episode 27

In Episode 27, Florence finally catches up on her stitching in a hotel room in Emporia, Kansas, while dreaming of her business back in Milton Falls.

Imagining the Milton Falls Quilting Company and all that Florence’s business entails has been so much fun for me — and at the same time it’s a little bit scary, since I don’t know all that much about starting a business. So far I’ve been using a common sense approach — if I wanted to start a quilting business where we sold patterns and kits, what would I do? If we also wanted to sell finished quilts to stores, how would I go about it? The good news for me, is that there were women in the 1930s who did just that, and I can take a cue or two from them.

The thing I’ve had no trouble imagining is Building No. 5 — the mill building Florence has rented from Arthur Purefoy for one dollar. I can see its red bricks, and the river that rolls alongside it. I spent four years as a grad student in western Massachusetts, and when I think of mills, I think of Lowell, one of the country’s most famous mill towns.

Having lived most of my life since then in North Carolina, I also think of the textile mills like this one in Stanley, N.C., the town my mother-in-law grew up in.

At my guild meeting a couple of weeks ago, one of our members did a marvelous presentation on vintage sewing machines. I was curious what sewing machines she thought Florence’s workers would use. Special industrial machines? She thought not. The industrial machines of that period tended to be for sturdier stuff than cotton fabric. So maybe something like this?

We’re continuing to have a great time over at the Quiltfiction Club on Facebook, the closed group in which we share quilts and quilt stories, and talk about quilt history and 1930s cake recipes. I hope you’ll come join us!

Thanks to everyone who’s given the podcast a rating and review on iTunes. If you haven’t yet, I hope you’ll consider doing so!

 

 

Notes: Friendship Album, 1933: Episode 26

In Episode 26, we’re introduced to a new character, the recently widowed Edwina Baldwin.

When Edwina reveals her age to Bess (76), I had to do the math to figure out when she was born. 1857! I suppose at some point in the future a great grandchild of mine will learn I was born in 1964, and it will seem as equally ancient (nearly prehistorical!).

Edwina was a popular girl’s name in Victorian times, and I think it suits our new friend.

Writing this chapter (Chapter 37), I had to do something difficult for me, which is describe a building. In spite of the fact that I went to grad school to study poetry writing, description has always been hard for me. To write the scene where Bess pauses to admire the architecture of St. Luke’s, I found a picture of a church I sometimes attend, and then I had to figure out what you call the windows over the door. Turns out, they’re lancets. Who knew?

We’re continuing to have fun over at the Quiltfiction Club, Quiltfiction’s closed Facebook group (please join us!). On Wednesday I posted several pictures I’ve found that help me picture Dorothy and her home life. This one especially is close to my heart:

I like to imagine that this is young Dorothy and Wallace in front of their house on Lincoln Avenue. In reality, it’s a photograph of a couple taken in 1918. His name was John Johnson, and he was a photographer who took pictures of people in his community in Lincoln, Nebraska. The woman is Odessa Price, and this is believed to be a wedding picture. They are a remarkable looking couple, and I believe that Dorothy and Wallace might have similar, formidable presences.

If you’re enjoying the Quiltfiction Podcast, please consider reviewing it on iTunes if you haven’t already. Positive ratings and reviews help get the word out about the story. Thanks so much! See you next week!

Notes: Friendship Album, 1933: Episode 25

In Episode 25, Eula learns the fate of her Sears Contest quilt.

The Sears “A Century of Progress” Quilt contest has some pretty impressive statistics. According to Barbara Brackman and Merikay Waldvogel, 24,755 quilts were entered, which means that one in every two thousand American women submitted a quilt. The prize money awarded to winners totaled $7,500 — close to $150,000 in today’s dollars. Thirty quilts reached the finals. As for the winning quilt … well, to learn more about it, listen to Episode 25! Without giving too much away, I will share this picture of the judges looking at the one that got the grand prize …

If you’re interested in learning more about the contest, the 1933 World’s Fair, and quilting during the 1930s, I highly recommend Patchwork Souveniers of the 1933 World’s Fair by Merikay Waldvogel and Barbara Brackman.

If you want to spend more time in the world of 1930s quiltmaking, come join Quiltfiction’s Facebook Group, the Quiltfiction Club. We’re having a wonderful time sharing our quilts, our grandmothers’ recipes, discussing quilt history and meeting up in a virtual quilting bee every Wednesday, just like our girls in Milton Falls!

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to tune in next week for the latest on Bess!

Notes: Friendship Album, 1933: Episode 24

In Episode 24, Emmeline learns the fate of her Sears Contest quilt and hatches a new plan to put her back on the path to quilting fame and fortune.

If you’ve listened to this week’s episode, you now know why Emmeline’s quilt didn’t win any prizes. Accident or sabotage? That will be revealed at a later date, so stay tuned! For those of you who want an idea of what Emmeline’s quilt looks like, here’s a picture of Rose Kretsinger’s “Orchid Wreath,” which Emmeline’s quilt, “Wreath of Irises,” is based on:

Bess’s quilt, which I don’t think is named in the book (am I wrong? Please leave the title in the comments if I am!) was designed around the theme of transportation. There were several transportation quilts in the Sears contest, including this one (maker unknown, collection of Maryilyn Forbes)

We’ve seen Dorothy’s quilt before:

Eula’s quilt is a red and white spinning wheel quilt, based on this quilt by Emma Andres of Prescott, Arizona:

This episode is our last of the year, and Chapter 35 is the last chapter in Part Two of Friendship Album, 1933. We’ll be taking a holiday break until Friday, January 11, 2019, and return with Part Three. If you’re looking for a Christmas story to listen to while you stitch over the holidays, we’ll be posting the audio version of “A Friendship Album Christmas, 1932,” tomorrow. I hope you enjoy it! Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone!