May 6, 2003 Newsletter Update from Quilter’s Muse
photo by Jim Cummings
The month of May kind of snuck up on us. Here we were, watching enormous snowflakes descend from the sky about a week ago, and then all of a sudden, it was hot enough to wear shorts. The glory of the snow flowers were the first to make their annual appearance in the yard, quickly followed by heavenly yellow daffodils which seem to spread more each year.
Today, the ground phlox are beginning to open and the rhododendron bush is showing a little color. The lilacs, our New Hampshire state flower, are starting to set their buds. I can never make up my mind which color I like best, the white one, the “purple” lilac, or the deeper violet shade called the French lilac. Jim has already been out playing in the dirt, planting his carrots, rutabagas, beets, parsnips and other root crops that could withstand another frost. Here in New England, we plant crops in stages. We love spring!
We have been attending a number of quilt shows and quilt events. We heard Mary Ellen Hopkins speak for more than three hours at a Hannah Dustin Guild meeting in Hudson, NH. She has some wonderfully funny personal anecdotes and, at 73, has the energy of a 30 year old. We also attended an exciting historical reenactment program at the Cocheco Mill complex in Dover, New Hampshire. One hundred and fifty members of the local community joined together to re-create scenes of what life was like for various people associated with the mill.
We were first greeted by a deep voiced man who played the part of the mill’s first owner. He was dressed to look the part, as were the rest of the cast in period garb. He spoke of his vision for the mill and how he had managed to get funding for construction. Children also participated in the production, portraying boarding house girls, children of immigrant mill workers, and even, construction workers. At a station, set up as the living quarters of an immigrant Irish family, we were delighted to hear the “mother” sing “Danny Boy.” At the next area, where a French-Canadian family sat in room set up like a parlor, we heard an entirely different quebecois kind of music, with piano, banjo, and percussion.
We were led through darkened halls, and up and down steep stairwells, from the bowels of the mill up perhaps three flights, each ascent sparsely lit with portable candles. Only fifteen people comprised each tour group led by a narrator with flashlight in hand to see her written manuscript, and a lady at the rear, carrying a lantern.
Our passage back through time, was interrupted by many dramatic surprises. One of those was the cries and shouts of one of the (later) malevolent mill owners who had tripped on a nail and fallen, and had to be rescued, only to spill forth venom. Another scene found mill girls carrying placards and noisily protesting their conditions and wages in a strike (based on an actual historic event, of course). In yet another area, the distinct and unmistakable smell of meadow muffins in a room that we passed, filled the air. The guide described that cow manure was used to set the dyes in cloth.
This entertaining and delightful tour culminated in a room where some old quilts were on display, as well as some newly made ones created by members of the Cocheco Quilt Guild. The latter utilize Cocheco reproduction fabrics. There also were a number of pieces of cloth, and swatch pages to see which were associated with the Cocheco Mills. This educational exhibit was put together by Lorie Chase, NH Coordinator for the American Quilt Study Group, and Pamela Weeks Worthen.
If you have not already read it, you will want to see our quilt show review for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Greenfield, Massachusetts. These smaller shows are often packed with treasures from the attic. We loved all the quilts but the best part for us was getting a chance to see some dear friends from Massachusetts and Vermont whom we do not see very often.
The really good news this week is that my quilt, “On Windy Whispers,” has safely reached its destination and will be on display at the Appliqué Society 2003 Convention, May 16-18, in Sacramento, CA, along with another (much smaller) quilt of swans. Both quilts are the result of challenges between two sister chapters. These quilts are not in the judged category. They were just made for fun.
We hope that you are all well and are finding some time to relax by quilting. The warm summer days ahead will provide a good excuse to read some good quilt books and magazines for inspiration. In addition, some wonderful quilt exhibits are scheduled for the New England area, if you can possibly go. Wherever you find your inspiration, keep in mind that busy hands equal a happy mind.
Until next time,
Pat and Jim