Mother's Dream Quilt Block

     I found this pattern in The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt by Laurie Aaron Hird.  I wanted a complete dogwood blossom in the center so enlarged the block to 11" finished to be able to do that.  This block includes Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow line, which I love.  A 12" block pattern is also available online at:  http://www.quilterscache.com/M/MothersDreamBlock.html
     As my grandmother continues her story, she describes this very difficult time when the family has just moved back to the farm and her mother dies unexpectedly.  My grandmother is only 17 years old.

from A Kansas Yankee by Harriet Woodbury George -
"Papa and the men on the farm were to ship hogs to Kansas City to market on Monday.  The freight car was ordered and on the tracks.  It was usually the custom to drive the hogs across the pastures to Olivet, taking along a team and wagon to haul any of the hogs if they became tired and needed to be put into the wagon.  In warm weather it was necessary to go in the early, cool hours.  Thus, Dad was up well before daybreak to see that everything was ready to go before sunup.  He said Mamma sat up on the side of the bed and got his socks for him out of the dresser drawer, but he didn't talk but a little to her as it was too early for her to get up and awake.

"I presume Ruth and I were up making breakfast for the men and boys - something we were not accustomed to do so early, but we learned very quickly that summer.  At the usual time I prepared a little breakfast tray for Mamma, but she was not awake so I took it later, but she would not take but a sip of her tea and then wanted to lie down.  This kept on until nine or ten o'clock.  Papa called back from Olivet as soon as the hogs were in the pens there.  He thought it best to let Mamma sleep.  Sometimes she would move a little and moan but said no words that I could understand.  Papa had suggested I call Dr. Mills in Lebo to come.  The train had not come yet to pick up the hogs.  The afternoon wore on, and still the train had not come and the hogs were heating - nor did the doctor come to us.  I fanned Mamma all afternoon and bathed her face with a cool, damp cloth as I had done many times before.  Dr. Mills arrived about 5:00 P.M.  He felt her hands and her feet, said her flesh was cold, and asked for us to heat irons, wrap them in paper and cloths, and put them next to her.  I presume we had no hot water bottle there.  If we did, he wanted more heat.  He said I'd better call my father which I did, and he was home soon.  Mamma was unable to say but a faint word or two but opened her eyes a little, and I'm sure she knew her Fred was there, but she was gone by six o'clock.  I had seen her that ill, I thought, so many times that I had not realized today that she would not soon be awake and speaking to us.  I was just seventeen years old but had never seen death before, until my dear Mother!"

 You might enjoy reading my previous blog entry:
http://starwoodquilter.blogspot.com/2011/08/mothers-dream-quilt-block.html