Monday, September 12, 2011

Country Path Quilt Block

    
     The pattern for this Country Path block is from The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt by Laurie Aaron Hird.  I ran off the templates for this 6" block, measured the squares, and then rotary cut them.  I cut around the templates for the triangles and the center piece.  When making a block, rotary cutting is always my first option, then templates, and finally paper piecing.  I want to like paper piecing, but I just do not!
     In these three diary entries, my grandmother tells about her time in Manhattan with her brother Howard on the Kansas State campus.  Notice on Monday's entry that Howard goes to drill, as preparation for the possibility of the U.S. entering World War I.  K State is known as the Aggies, and their great rival is Kansas University - which is still true today!  Here's a link to the movie they went to see.  I was really surprised I could find it on-line. 
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/562441/My-Lady-Incog-/ 

Sunday, February 20, 1916 -
"After a good night's rest, my headache vanished.  We got up about 8:30, went to breakfast, then came back and dressed for church.  I didn't enjoy the sermon much for we had to sit in the gallery with several giggling, talkative girls behind us.  But Sunday School was nice.  I met Howard's friend Miss King and was in her class.  They had a special program for Washington's birthday and Home Mission Sunday.  The orchestra music sounded splendid to me." 

Monday, February 21, 1916 -
"I decided the bed was better than breakfast this a.m. and slept until nine o'clock.  About ten, Howard and I went up on the Hill.  We walked around a little before his class time.  I spent a good deal of the time in the library. . . After dinner Howard and I went through the shops and Domestic Science building, then he went to drill. . .

"We went to the Kansas University - Aggie track meet tonight.  There were certainly some splendid athletes entered, but K.U. was far the better in most things.  They won 63 points to the Aggies' 19.  Today has been another of the perfect days - just like April or May." 

Tuesday, February 22, 1916 -
"Although I had fully intended going home today, even to packing my suitcase and telling Clema goodbye as she went to school, I changed my mind when Whit came up and said they were going on a hike and wanted Howard and me to go.  So I wrote a letter home to Mother, and Howard and I got ready in a hurry and shot over to Aggieville and got some grub to take along. . . We had intended to go up in the hills but got started on a railroad track, and it was so muddy on both sides of it that we thought we were going to have to eat dinner on the track. . . After we had held numerous councils and discussions, we finally came to a dry crossing, which we traveled until we came to a farm.  Upon investigation, the whole place proved to be deserted.  As the wind had grown quite chilly, we decided to camp upon the south porch to eat our lunch.  There were ten of us in the bunch and, of course, we had quite a time eating and investigating the house of mystery.  Luckily, we were all outside of the house with the door closed when a man came along and inquired if we had the owner's permission and kindly advised us to move on.  As we had finished, we gathered up some of our trash and wended our way back to town.  I was sure tired - especially my feet - I thought I couldn't make the last mile, but, of course, I did. . . We sat around until seven o'clock and then went to the movies.  The pictures were splendid - Hazel Dawn in "My Lady Incog." I was thankful we had to go to the office to order a jitney for morning because we took one home, and my feet are so sore I can hardly walk.  My!  I hate to think about getting up at 5:30!!"

You might enjoy reading my previous post:
http://starwoodquilter.blogspot.com/2011/09/railroad-quilt-block_10.html

3 comments:

  1. I've really been enjoying your posts of your grandmother's diary entries. I don't know if you are putting tags on your posts, but I would like to suggest that if you decide to do so, add the tag "primary source." As a high school social studies teacher, I always looked for this sort of source to make issues such as WWI real for my students. Of course, this one could also be tagged with the title of your movie, World War I, jitney/transportation, and so on. I haven't really tagged any of my blog posts, either, but I've seen other bloggers who do, and now I think I understand why. It probably makes google/bing searching easier with the tags.

    Anyway, keep up the good work. Your blocks are looking good as well! :)

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  2. Thank you so very much for your useful tip. I will get right on it!

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  3. Another interesting post. I just imagine the girls in their long dresses trying not to get mud all over themselves.

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